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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
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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: scale · root · court · cap · vault · bowl · fan · degree

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. scale — size or range
  5. scale — in music
  6. degree — from a university
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. court — of law
  9. root — of a word
  10. cap — a lid
  11. vault — a safe
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. court — for sport
  14. degree — temperature
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. court — of a king
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. root — of a plant
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. root — the cause
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a hat
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. degree — an amount

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