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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: degree · trunk · season · pop · racket · vault · pitcher · toast

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  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. vault — in gymnastics
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. pop — to visit
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. pop — soda
  14. degree — temperature
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. degree — from a university
  17. pop — music
  18. season — of the year
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. degree — an amount
  22. season — in sport
  23. toast — bread
  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