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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: ball · field · vault · fine · degree · march · wave · bulb

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  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. wave — a sudden rise
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. march — the month
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. ball — a dance
  10. degree — temperature
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. march — the month
  14. degree — an amount
  15. field — for sport
  16. degree — from a university
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. fine — high quality
  19. march — music
  20. bulb — for light
  21. ball — a great time
  22. field — farmland
  23. field — a subject
  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