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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. game — a match
  8. pop — soda
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. root — of a word
  11. bore — to drill
  12. pop — to visit
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bore — to tire
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. pop — music
  18. root — the cause
  19. foot — a measure
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. root — of a plant
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. racket — a loud noise

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