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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 116 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: vault · suit · root · squash · pop · cold · racket · bank

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pop — music
  4. bank — for money
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bank — of a river
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — the cause
  9. cold — an illness
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. pop — soda
  14. pop — to visit
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. suit — to fit
  18. squash — to crush
  19. bank — for money
  20. cold — not warm
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. suit — in cards
  23. squash — the sport
  24. root — of a plant

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