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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. charge — a price
  5. bank — of a river
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. root — of a plant
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. root — of a word
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. vault — a safe
  16. game — a match
  17. bank — for money
  18. charge — electricity
  19. bank — for money
  20. charge — in control
  21. root — the cause
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to bend

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