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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: degree · chip · pop · cabinet · pit · vault · ruler · racket

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. chip — to eat
  4. degree — an amount
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. vault — a safe
  8. pop — soda
  9. chip — for betting
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pop — to visit
  13. degree — from a university
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pop — music
  19. degree — temperature
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. ruler — a monarch

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com