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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 · object · safe · calf · bark · vault · spell · court

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. object — to protest
  4. object — a thing
  5. court — of law
  6. root — of a word
  7. vault — a safe
  8. root — of a plant
  9. court — for sport
  10. bark — to shout
  11. root — the cause
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. spell — a short time
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. spell — letters
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. spell — magic
  22. object — an aim
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young 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