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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: land · root · kid · vault · staff · cabinet · stick · rule

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. kid — child
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. land — to come down
  7. root — of a word
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. staff — a stick
  10. land — a country
  11. kid — to tease
  12. land — ground
  13. rule — a law
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rule — government
  17. root — the cause
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. staff — employees
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. vault — a safe
  24. root — of a plant

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