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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 120 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: root · deal · key · season · vault · rock · hand · row

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. rock — music
  4. vault — a safe
  5. deal — to handle
  6. row — to paddle
  7. row — a line
  8. root — of a plant
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. root — of a word
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. key — in music
  15. hand — help
  16. hand — in cards
  17. season — of the year
  18. root — the cause
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. key — the most important part
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. season — in sport
  23. key — for a lock
  24. rock — a stone

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