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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.

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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: season · drill · vault · pound · nail · bank · stand · degree

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  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. season — of the year
  2. season — in sport
  3. degree — temperature
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. drill — a practice
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. degree — an amount
  8. drill — army training
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. bank — for money
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pound — a weight
  15. stand — to bear
  16. drill — the tool
  17. bank — of a river
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. bank — for money
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. degree — from a university
  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