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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 116 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 · bowl · stand · vault · land · club · nail · season

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. season — in sport
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. land — a country
  5. club — for golf
  6. degree — temperature
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — of the year
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — to bear
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. degree — an amount
  15. degree — from a university
  16. club — for dancing
  17. land — ground
  18. club — a group
  19. land — to come down
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. vault — a safe
  24. stand — for spectators

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