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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: racket · root · mark · vault · pit · fan · temple · cue

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. cue — a signal
  5. pit — in a race
  6. vault — a safe
  7. root — of a plant
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. mark — a trace
  10. cue — a hint
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. cue — for pool
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pit — a hole
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. root — of a word
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. root — the cause
  24. mark — a grade

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