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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: roll · vault · degree · ball · mug · spell · stock · field

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — magic
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. field — for sport
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. roll — a list
  7. roll — a cake
  8. mug — a cup
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. field — farmland
  11. mug — to rob
  12. ball — a dance
  13. degree — from a university
  14. vault — a safe
  15. ball — a great time
  16. spell — letters
  17. degree — temperature
  18. degree — an amount
  19. stock — goods
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. field — a subject
  22. mug — a face
  23. stock — shares
  24. ball — a round shape

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