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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: degree · season · bowl · swing · vault · suit

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. degree — temperature
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. suit — clothes
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. suit — to fit
  8. degree — from a university
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. swing — in golf
  11. swing — to play on
  12. season — in sport
  13. degree — an amount
  14. season — of the year
  15. vault — a safe
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. swing — music
  18. season — to add flavour

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