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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: ruler · march · ground · root · vault · shower · chair · wind

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. shower — to wash
  3. ground — a position
  4. ground — the earth
  5. wind — moving air
  6. ground — crushed
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. root — the cause
  9. march — the month
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. march — music
  14. march — the month
  15. chair — a leader
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. vault — a safe
  20. root — of a word
  21. shower — rain
  22. wind — moving air
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. ruler — for measuring

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