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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: dip · mine · branch · degree · can · court · vault · pitch

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. degree — temperature
  3. dip — to sink
  4. degree — an amount
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. court — of a king
  7. degree — from a university
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. pitch — completely
  10. can — a tin
  11. branch — a division
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. can — to be able to
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. can — a tin
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. mine — for digging
  23. court — of law
  24. court — for sport

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