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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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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 · vault · object · branch · swing · saw · pitcher · wake

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — to play on
  4. saw — the tool
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. object — an aim
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. object — to protest
  12. wake — a trail
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. swing — music
  15. vault — a safe
  16. root — of a plant
  17. saw — the tool
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. root — of a word
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. root — the cause
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. branch — a division

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