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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: ball · craft · object · band · coach · patient · vault · root

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. root — the cause
  5. craft — a skill
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. band — a ring
  11. root — of a plant
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. band — a music group
  14. object — an aim
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. object — a thing
  17. object — to protest
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. ball — a great time
  20. vault — a safe
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. craft — boats
  23. root — of a word
  24. ball — a round shape

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