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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: root · saw · bore · court · can · perch · vault · race

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. vault — a safe
  3. court — of law
  4. perch — the fish
  5. can — a tin
  6. root — of a word
  7. race — humankind
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. court — of a king
  11. bore — to tire
  12. court — for sport
  13. can — to be able to
  14. bore — to drill
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. root — of a plant
  19. can — a tin
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. race — a contest
  22. root — the cause
  23. race — the arms race
  24. bore — gave birth

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