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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 116 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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. hand — in cards
  3. root — of a plant
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. vault — a safe
  9. scale — in music
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. root — of a word
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. hand — help
  16. root — the cause
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. scale — size or range

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