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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. swing — in golf
  4. root — the cause
  5. staff — a stick
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — of a word
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bore — to tire
  10. band — a ring
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — clever
  13. swing — music
  14. band — a music group
  15. track — a path
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. bore — to drill
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. staff — employees
  21. track — a song
  22. staff — employees
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. track — to keep track

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