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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: band · root · drill · file · fork · land · vault · temple

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. land — ground
  3. file — a document
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. drill — army training
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. drill — a practice
  9. drill — the tool
  10. root — the cause
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. file — a tool
  13. file — a line of people
  14. root — of a plant
  15. band — a ring
  16. fork — in a road
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. vault — a safe
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. band — a music group
  23. land — a country
  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