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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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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 · pitcher · vault · fall · ruler · bulb · mate · bat

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. fall — to drop
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. degree — from a university
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. vault — a safe
  13. mate — a friend
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bulb — for light
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. mate — to breed
  18. fall — to drop
  19. degree — temperature
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mate — a partner
  23. fall — the season
  24. pitcher — a jug

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