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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: coach · vault · pound · root · shower · sharp · deal · nail

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. shower — rain
  3. root — of a word
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. vault — a safe
  10. pound — a weight
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. shower — to wash
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — clever
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. root — the cause
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. deal — to handle

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