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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: court · kick · degree · ball · stem · foot · bowl · vault

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. vault — a safe
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — for sport
  5. ball — a great time
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. degree — an amount
  8. degree — temperature
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stem — to come from
  11. court — of law
  12. ball — a dance
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. foot — a measure
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. degree — from a university

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