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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. bulb — for light
  5. capital — money
  6. root — the cause
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bulb — for light
  9. capital — a city
  10. degree — temperature
  11. root — of a plant
  12. shower — rain
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. shower — to wash
  15. degree — from a university
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. degree — an amount
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. root — of a word
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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