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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 · march · object · branch · coach · row · rule · vault

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. object — to protest
  3. root — of a word
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rule — government
  6. rule — a law
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. march — the month
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. object — an aim
  15. root — the cause
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. march — the month
  18. object — a thing
  19. march — music
  20. root — of a plant
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. row — a line
  24. row — to paddle

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