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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: face · racket · hand · pound · ruler · vault · root · content

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. root — of a plant
  3. face — to confront
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. hand — help
  7. vault — a safe
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. pound — a weight
  10. hand — in cards
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. face — to point toward
  14. root — the cause
  15. content — the amount
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. root — of a word
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. content — happy

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