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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: content · fork · root · vault · wave · patient · spell · track

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. fork — in a road
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. root — of a word
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. vault — a safe
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. content — the amount
  11. root — of a plant
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. track — a path
  14. spell — magic
  15. track — a song
  16. spell — a short time
  17. track — to keep track
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. spell — letters
  20. content — happy
  21. root — the cause
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. wave — 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