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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 120 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: rest · root · spell · racket · vault · net · deal · coach

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. rest — what's left
  5. spell — magic
  6. vault — a safe
  7. deal — to handle
  8. spell — a short time
  9. net — for catching
  10. root — of a word
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — a break
  15. net — in sport
  16. spell — letters
  17. root — of a plant
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. root — the cause
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. net — after costs

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