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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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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 · deal · spell · racket · spring · bowl · vault · court

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. court — of law
  4. root — the cause
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. spell — magic
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. court — of a king
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. root — of a word
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. vault — a safe
  16. spring — the season
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. spell — letters
  19. deal — to handle
  20. spring — a coil
  21. root — of a plant
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. spell — a short time
  24. court — for sport

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