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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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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: ruler · last · degree · bank · track · vault · ball · pound

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. track — to keep track
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. track — a path
  5. track — a song
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. last — finally
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. bank — of a river
  12. last — final
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ball — a great time
  15. bank — for money
  16. degree — an amount
  17. degree — from a university
  18. degree — temperature
  19. bank — for money
  20. pound — a weight
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. vault — a safe
  23. last — to go on
  24. pound — for dogs

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