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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
468
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: root · press · land · arm · ball · vault · degree · coach

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ball — a dance
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. root — of a word
  7. press — a publisher
  8. root — the cause
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. press — to push
  11. root — of a plant
  12. degree — an amount
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. press — newspapers
  18. land — to come down
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. land — ground
  21. degree — temperature
  22. land — a country
  23. degree — from a university
  24. vault — a safe

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