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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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Word bank
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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: bore · pound · root · toast · pass · vault

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. bore — to drill
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. vault — a safe
  12. pass — a permit
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. root — the cause
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. root — of a word

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