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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. root — of a plant
  3. court — of a king
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. march — the month
  6. root — the cause
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. swing — in golf
  9. court — for sport
  10. march — the month
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cap — of ice
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — a division
  17. march — music
  18. court — of law
  19. swing — music
  20. plane — a tool
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. cap — a lid
  23. swing — to play on
  24. vault — a safe

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