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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: vault · saw · scale · root · bank · cell · season · fan

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. saw — the tool
  3. root — the cause
  4. bank — for money
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. vault — a safe
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. root — of a plant
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. saw — the tool
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. root — of a word
  14. cell — a phone
  15. bank — for money
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. bank — of a river
  19. cell — in biology
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. scale — size or range
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. scale — in music
  24. season — in sport

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