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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. ball — a dance
  4. dip — to sink
  5. vault — a safe
  6. board — to get on
  7. track — a path
  8. root — of a plant
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. track — a song
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. root — the cause
  15. board — a committee
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. track — to keep track
  18. ball — a great time

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