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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: field · roll · vault · ground · mark · pit · degree · can

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. ground — a position
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. can — a tin
  7. field — for sport
  8. can — to be able to
  9. degree — an amount
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. ground — crushed
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. degree — from a university
  14. degree — temperature
  15. field — farmland
  16. roll — a list
  17. mark — a trace
  18. can — a tin
  19. ground — the earth
  20. roll — a cake
  21. vault — a safe
  22. mark — a grade
  23. field — a subject
  24. mark — to pay attention

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