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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kid · bay · vault · staff · root · race

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. root — of a word
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. kid — child
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. race — humankind
  8. root — the cause
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. staff — a stick
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. root — of a plant
  13. kid — to tease
  14. race — the arms race
  15. race — a contest
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — employees
  18. bay — a part of the sea

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