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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  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. root — of a word
  2. root — of a plant
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. vault — a safe
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. capital — money
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. scale — in music
  16. cell — in biology
  17. capital — a city
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bore — to drill
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. cell — a phone
  22. scale — size or range
  23. bore — to tire
  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