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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: can · date · degree · roll · vault · swing · pound · net

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. degree — temperature
  3. pound — a weight
  4. degree — an amount
  5. swing — in golf
  6. can — to be able to
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — the fruit
  10. roll — a cake
  11. net — for catching
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. vault — a safe
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. swing — to play on
  16. roll — a list
  17. swing — music
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. net — in sport
  20. can — a tin
  21. net — after costs
  22. degree — from a university
  23. can — a tin
  24. pound — to hit hard

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