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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. object — an aim
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. vault — a safe
  6. root — of a plant
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. root — of a word
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for golf
  11. root — the cause
  12. object — to protest
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. prune — to trim
  17. content — the amount
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. object — a thing
  22. content — happy
  23. prune — to trim
  24. club — for dancing

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