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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: root · vault · arm · chip · mark · field · fall · racket

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. field — farmland
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. root — of a plant
  6. fall — the season
  7. chip — to eat
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. chip — for betting
  12. fall — to drop
  13. mark — a grade
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. mark — a trace
  16. vault — a safe
  17. field — for sport
  18. root — the cause
  19. field — a subject
  20. root — of a word
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. fall — to drop
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — part of the body

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