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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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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: ruler · vault · degree · board · wax · field · net · row

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  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. vault — in gymnastics
  2. field — for sport
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. net — for catching
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. vault — a safe
  7. row — to paddle
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. degree — temperature
  10. net — in sport
  11. wax — to grow
  12. net — after costs
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. degree — an amount
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. field — a subject
  19. board — a committee
  20. field — farmland
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. board — to get on
  23. row — a line
  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