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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: pit · bank · vault · degree · stand · mark

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. vault — a safe
  4. mark — a grade
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. bank — for money
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. pit — a hole
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. bank — for money
  11. degree — temperature
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. degree — from a university
  15. stand — to bear
  16. pit — in a race
  17. mark — a trace
  18. bank — of a river

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