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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: plane · root · vault · club · bat · game · rest · wave

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. club — for dancing
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. root — of a word
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — a safe
  7. bat — the animal
  8. root — of a plant
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. club — for golf
  13. game — wild animals
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. club — a group
  20. game — a match
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. plane — a tool
  24. rest — a break

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