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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: pit · court · band · pitch · object · stock · degree · vault

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. object — an aim
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pitch — completely
  5. degree — from a university
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. band — a music group
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. stock — goods
  11. stock — shares
  12. object — a thing
  13. degree — temperature
  14. pit — in a race
  15. vault — a safe
  16. court — of a king
  17. court — for sport
  18. object — to protest
  19. band — a ring
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. degree — an amount
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pitch — a sports field

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