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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: patient · content · court · cabinet · nail · vault · root · coach

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. content — the amount
  4. content — happy
  5. root — of a plant
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. court — of a king
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. root — the cause
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. court — of law
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. root — of a word
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. coach — a trainer

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