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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.

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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 · bay · racket · cap · prune · saw · rash · vault

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. cap — a hat
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. cap — a lid
  5. rash — hasty
  6. saw — the tool
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. root — of a word
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. vault — a safe
  14. root — the cause
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. root — of a plant
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cap — of ice
  23. rash — a series
  24. prune — the fruit

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