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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. root — of a word
  3. ball — a great time
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. spring — the season
  6. key — the most important part
  7. spring — a coil
  8. bank — for money
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. spring — of water
  11. fine — high quality
  12. key — in music
  13. bank — for money
  14. fine — all right
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. root — of a plant
  18. root — the cause
  19. key — for a lock
  20. vault — a safe
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. ball — a dance
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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