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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.

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: root · vault · spell · foot · content · coach · ground · tube

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. spell — a short time
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. root — of a word
  5. ground — crushed
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — magic
  9. tube — a container
  10. root — of a plant
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. content — the amount
  15. ground — a position
  16. foot — a measure
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. ground — the earth
  20. vault — a safe
  21. root — the cause
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — the underground
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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