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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: perch · court · safe · mine · ball · bound · vault · root

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. court — for sport
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. root — the cause
  5. bound — tied together
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — of a word
  8. perch — the fish
  9. bound — certain
  10. court — of a king
  11. ball — a dance
  12. mine — for digging
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. bound — obliged
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. vault — a safe
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. court — of law
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. ball — a great time
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. safe — out of danger

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