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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 120 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: ball · season · lean · vault · net · ruler · degree · charge

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. charge — in control
  5. season — in sport
  6. net — for catching
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ball — a great time
  9. degree — temperature
  10. vault — a safe
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. charge — a price
  14. lean — to bend
  15. season — of the year
  16. charge — electricity
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. degree — an amount
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. degree — from a university
  21. ball — a dance
  22. net — after costs
  23. lean — thin
  24. net — in sport

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