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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. bass — the fish
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. court — for sport
  6. court — of law
  7. root — of a word
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. root — of a plant
  12. court — of a king
  13. vault — a safe
  14. root — the cause
  15. lean — thin
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. snap — to click
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. wake — a trail
  24. bass — low music

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