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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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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: ball · toast · root · nail · row · foot · band · vault

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. ball — a great time
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a music group
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. foot — a measure
  11. root — the cause
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. root — of a word
  15. band — a ring
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. root — of a plant
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. toast — bread
  21. row — to paddle
  22. ball — a dance
  23. vault — a safe
  24. row — a line

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