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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: dip · mug · face · vault · degree · court · track · tear

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. degree — temperature
  3. tear — from crying
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. mug — to rob
  6. tear — from crying
  7. mug — a face
  8. track — a song
  9. face — part of the head
  10. degree — from a university
  11. vault — a safe
  12. court — for sport
  13. track — a path
  14. court — of law
  15. track — to keep track
  16. face — to point toward
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. mug — a cup
  19. dip — to sink
  20. face — to confront
  21. court — of a king
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. tear — to rip

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