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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 light ________________ burned out.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. bulb — for light
  3. drill — a practice
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. drill — army training
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. ball — a dance
  8. chip — for betting
  9. bulb — for light
  10. drill — the tool
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. vault — a safe
  14. root — the cause
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. chip — to eat
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. root — of a plant
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bulb — of a plant

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