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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
468
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: content · file · vault · ball · can · root · court · calf

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. can — to be able to
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. court — of law
  5. file — a document
  6. file — a tool
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. content — happy
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. root — of a plant
  11. file — a line of people
  12. can — a tin
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. can — a tin
  15. root — the cause
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. ball — a dance
  18. vault — a safe
  19. ball — a great time
  20. content — the amount
  21. court — of a king
  22. court — for sport
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. root — of a word

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