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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: court · wave · bulb · pitcher · degree · branch · lean · vault

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. court — for sport
  4. lean — thin
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. bulb — for light
  7. vault — a safe
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. degree — temperature
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. court — of law
  16. degree — an amount
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. branch — a division
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. court — of a king
  23. degree — from a university
  24. lean — to bend

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