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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: vault · stand · fall · mate · degree · track · suit · ground

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. suit — clothes
  3. fall — the season
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — to drop
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. degree — temperature
  9. suit — in cards
  10. mate — a partner
  11. track — to keep track
  12. ground — crushed
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. ground — the earth
  15. degree — from a university
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. degree — an amount
  18. mate — to breed
  19. ground — a position
  20. track — a song
  21. stand — to bear
  22. mate — a friend
  23. track — a path
  24. vault — a safe

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