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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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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: safe · vault · pop · bat · fork · mark · root · roll

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. root — of a plant
  3. roll — a cake
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. root — of a word
  8. mark — a trace
  9. roll — a list
  10. vault — a safe
  11. pop — soda
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bat — the animal
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. root — the cause
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. fork — in a road
  20. mark — a grade
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pop — to visit
  24. mark — to pay attention

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