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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: scale · degree · foot · ball · vault · net · rock · mark

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. degree — temperature
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. ball — a dance
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. rock — music
  9. net — for catching
  10. ball — a great time
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. mark — a trace
  13. rock — a stone
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. degree — from a university
  16. net — in sport
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. scale — size or range
  20. foot — a measure
  21. vault — a safe
  22. degree — an amount
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. scale — in music

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