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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.

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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: bay · vault · chip · ball · leaves · root · file · season

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  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. root — of a word
  2. file — a line of people
  3. root — the cause
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. root — of a plant
  6. file — a tool
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. chip — for betting
  11. file — a document
  12. season — of the year
  13. ball — a great time
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. chip — to eat
  21. season — in sport
  22. ball — a dance
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  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