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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: roll · spring · degree · jam · court · bulb · vault · suit

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. degree — temperature
  3. vault — a safe
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. court — for sport
  7. bulb — for light
  8. roll — a list
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. spring — of water
  11. roll — a cake
  12. suit — in cards
  13. spring — a coil
  14. suit — clothes
  15. suit — to fit
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. spring — the season
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. court — of law
  20. degree — an amount
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. bulb — for light
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. court — of a king

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