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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
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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: field · spring · saw · kick · vault · root · land · suit

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. land — to come down
  3. land — ground
  4. field — for sport
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. suit — to fit
  7. kick — in football
  8. saw — the tool
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. field — a subject
  11. suit — in cards
  12. spring — the season
  13. saw — the tool
  14. land — a country
  15. spring — of water
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. suit — clothes
  18. root — of a plant
  19. spring — a coil
  20. root — the cause
  21. root — of a word
  22. field — farmland
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. vault — a safe

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