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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: vault · pit · degree · march · rash · wound · net · mine

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. degree — temperature
  3. rash — a series
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — after costs
  6. degree — an amount
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. vault — a safe
  9. pit — in a race
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. march — music
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. degree — from a university
  14. rash — hasty
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. march — the month
  18. wound — an injury
  19. pit — a hole
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. net — in sport
  24. mine — for digging

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