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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 120 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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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: pass · fan · pitcher · vault · mark · bank · rest · root

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. bank — of a river
  5. vault — a safe
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. pass — a permit
  8. root — the cause
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bank — for money
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. root — of a plant
  16. rest — a break
  17. mark — a trace
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bank — for money
  21. root — of a word
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. mark — a grade
  24. pitcher — a jug

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