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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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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: race · root · court · dip · vault · racket · board · roll

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. race — the arms race
  4. vault — a safe
  5. roll — a cake
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. court — for sport
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. dip — to sink
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. root — the cause
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. court — of a king
  15. race — humankind
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. root — of a word
  19. root — of a plant
  20. board — to get on
  21. roll — a list
  22. board — a committee
  23. court — of law
  24. race — a contest

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