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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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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 · kick · pit · vault · shower · bowl · firm · ball

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. firm — steady
  3. vault — a safe
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. root — of a plant
  7. firm — a company
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. ball — a great time
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — the cause
  13. pit — in a race
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. kick — in football
  17. pit — a hole
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. shower — rain
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. firm — decided
  22. shower — to wash
  23. ball — a dance
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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