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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: bowl · root · wake · vault · court · rule · bank · hand

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. root — of a word
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. rule — a law
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. root — of a plant
  8. bank — of a river
  9. court — for sport
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. root — the cause
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — help
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bank — for money
  18. hand — in cards
  19. rule — government
  20. bank — for money
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. court — of a king
  23. court — of law
  24. rule — to rule out

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