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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: season · mate · vault · swing · lean · degree · pitcher · track

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. track — a song
  3. degree — temperature
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. season — of the year
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. degree — from a university
  9. degree — an amount
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. swing — in golf
  14. track — to keep track
  15. swing — to play on
  16. lean — to bend
  17. swing — music
  18. mate — a partner
  19. track — a path
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. mate — a friend
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. mate — to breed
  24. lean — thin

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