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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 116 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: root · season · stand · court · cue · capital · pit · vault

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. season — of the year
  3. cue — a signal
  4. root — of a word
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. season — in sport
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. pit — in a race
  9. court — of a king
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. capital — money
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. cue — for pool
  14. vault — a safe
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of law
  18. root — the cause
  19. pit — a hole
  20. root — of a plant
  21. capital — a city
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. cue — a hint

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