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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: date · root · club · vault · roll · ruler · bass · patient

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. roll — a list
  8. club — for golf
  9. club — a group
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. root — of a word
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. roll — a cake
  16. bass — low music
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. bass — the fish
  19. club — for dancing
  20. root — of a plant
  21. root — the cause
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. date — the fruit
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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