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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: wave · vault · pop · cabinet · bank · court · degree · leaves

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bank — for money
  4. court — of a king
  5. pop — music
  6. degree — from a university
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. pop — soda
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bank — for money
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pop — to visit
  16. court — for sport
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. degree — an amount
  20. vault — a safe
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. degree — temperature
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. court — of law

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