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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: vault · root · ball · patient · bound · press · mark · club

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  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. press — a publisher
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bound — certain
  5. vault — a safe
  6. club — for golf
  7. club — a group
  8. root — of a word
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. bound — obliged
  13. ball — a great time
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. press — to push
  16. mark — a trace
  17. press — newspapers
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. club — for dancing
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. root — the cause
  23. ball — a dance
  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