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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: degree · scale · vault · bulb · field · pass · pitcher · bank

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. field — a subject
  4. bank — for money
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. field — for sport
  7. degree — temperature
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. degree — from a university
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. bulb — for light
  13. scale — size or range
  14. vault — a safe
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. degree — an amount
  17. bulb — for light
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. scale — in music
  21. bank — for money
  22. field — farmland
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pass — to spend time

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