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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 120 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: fine · season · bank · vault · ground · branch · degree · stand

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. ground — the earth
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. degree — from a university
  5. degree — an amount
  6. bank — for money
  7. fine — all right
  8. ground — crushed
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. degree — temperature
  11. branch — a division
  12. bank — of a river
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — a safe
  17. bank — for money
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. fine — high quality
  20. season — of the year
  21. stand — to bear
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. ground — a position
  24. branch — of a bank

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