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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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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: prune · land · root · game · can · foot · vault · snap

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. can — to be able to
  3. vault — a safe
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. root — of a plant
  7. snap — to click
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. land — to come down
  10. land — a country
  11. game — wild animals
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. foot — a measure
  16. game — a match
  17. prune — to trim
  18. root — the cause
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. prune — to trim
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. land — ground
  24. root — of a word

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