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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spell · root · roll · squash · ball · vault · coach · mouse

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. ball — a dance
  9. spell — a short time
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. roll — a cake
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. root — of a plant
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — letters
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. squash — to crush
  19. squash — the sport
  20. root — of a word
  21. vault — a safe
  22. root — the cause
  23. roll — a list
  24. mouse — the animal

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