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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bore · bowl · root · ground · vault · shower · game · mark

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. root — the cause
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. game — a match
  5. root — of a word
  6. ground — crushed
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bore — to tire
  9. mark — a trace
  10. shower — rain
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. root — of a plant
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. ground — the earth
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. game — wild animals
  20. shower — to wash
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. mark — a grade
  23. bore — to drill
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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