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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: stick · land · spell · drill · sharp · bulb · vault · degree

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. degree — temperature
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. land — to come down
  5. vault — a safe
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. land — ground
  9. drill — army training
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bulb — for light
  12. degree — an amount
  13. sharp — clever
  14. spell — magic
  15. bulb — for light
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. land — a country
  19. spell — a short time
  20. degree — from a university
  21. drill — the tool
  22. spell — letters
  23. drill — a practice
  24. sharp — exactly

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