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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. root — of a word
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. cue — for pool
  6. court — for sport
  7. cue — a signal
  8. court — of law
  9. object — to protest
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. object — an aim
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. band — a ring
  15. root — of a plant
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. lie — to recline
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. court — of a king
  20. object — a thing
  21. band — a music group
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. vault — a safe
  24. root — the cause

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