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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 · last · root · present · can · land · bowl · press

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. root — of a plant
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. present — a gift
  5. land — a country
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. present — there
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. land — to come down
  10. land — ground
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. can — to be able to
  13. vault — a safe
  14. root — the cause
  15. last — finally
  16. can — a tin
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. press — a publisher
  19. root — of a word
  20. press — to push
  21. last — final
  22. present — the time now
  23. can — a tin
  24. press — newspapers

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