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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: coach · vault · game · degree · season · mark · cabinet · fork

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. degree — an amount
  3. game — a match
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. season — in sport
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. degree — from a university
  13. mark — a trace
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. vault — a safe
  17. fork — in a road
  18. season — of the year
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. game — wild animals

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