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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 120 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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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 · kick · vault · craft · band · swing · cap · mate

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. cap — a lid
  3. vault — a safe
  4. mate — a partner
  5. swing — music
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. swing — to play on
  8. root — of a plant
  9. band — a music group
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. kick — in football
  12. craft — boats
  13. mate — a friend
  14. band — a ring
  15. craft — a skill
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. root — of a word
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. cap — of ice
  20. swing — in golf
  21. cap — a hat
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. root — the cause

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