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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: charge · vault · mark · wound · root · band · bass · craft

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. craft — boats
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. root — of a plant
  5. wound — an injury
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. root — of a word
  8. band — a music group
  9. mark — a grade
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. mark — a trace
  12. craft — a skill
  13. wound — an injury
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. vault — a safe
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — electricity
  18. band — a ring
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bass — low music
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. root — the cause
  24. bass — the fish

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