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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: vault · pit · field · stick · ball · lean · root · tear

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. root — of a plant
  3. ball — a great time
  4. vault — a safe
  5. tear — to rip
  6. tear — from crying
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — the cause
  10. tear — from crying
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. pit — a hole
  13. lean — thin
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. pit — in a race
  20. lean — to bend
  21. field — a subject
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. field — for sport
  24. field — farmland

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