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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 120 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: mine · rock · season · vault · bear · ruler · game · degree

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. degree — an amount
  3. bear — the animal
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. season — of the year
  8. degree — from a university
  9. game — a match
  10. rock — music
  11. game — wild animals
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. rock — a stone
  20. season — in sport
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. degree — temperature
  23. vault — a safe
  24. ruler — for measuring

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