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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 124 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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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: file · toast · game · degree · suit · vault · cap · stick

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a line of people
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. vault — a safe
  6. suit — in cards
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. game — a match
  9. cap — of ice
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. suit — clothes
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. game — wild animals
  14. degree — temperature
  15. toast — bread
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. cap — a lid
  18. degree — an amount
  19. degree — from a university
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. cap — a hat
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. file — a document
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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