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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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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: branch · drill · calf · bowl · root · date · vault · ball

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. ball — a great time
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. drill — the tool
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. root — of a word
  9. ball — a dance
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. root — the cause
  17. drill — a practice
  18. date — the fruit
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. vault — a safe
  21. root — of a plant
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. branch — a division

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