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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: degree · ball · foot · craft · season · ground · mark · vault

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. ground — the earth
  3. season — in sport
  4. craft — a skill
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. vault — a safe
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. degree — temperature
  11. degree — an amount
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. craft — boats
  15. ball — a great time
  16. season — of the year
  17. ground — crushed
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. ball — a dance
  20. degree — from a university
  21. foot — a measure
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. mark — a grade
  24. ground — a position

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