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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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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. root — of a word
  3. rock — music
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. root — of a plant
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. vault — a safe
  12. shower — rain
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. cold — an illness
  16. shower — to wash
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — for digging
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stand — to bear
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. cold — not warm
  23. rock — a stone
  24. cold — the Cold War

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