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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. root — of a plant
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. field — for sport
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. band — a music group
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. ground — the earth
  11. vault — a safe
  12. ground — a position
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. band — a ring
  15. ground — crushed
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. root — the cause
  18. field — a subject
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. root — of a word
  21. field — farmland
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. wake — a trail

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