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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 116 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: rock · board · vault · pitch · hand · bear · swing · root

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. board — to get on
  3. hand — in cards
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. swing — music
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bear — the animal
  8. swing — to play on
  9. vault — a safe
  10. swing — in golf
  11. root — the cause
  12. hand — help
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. root — of a word
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pitch — completely
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rock — a stone
  24. board — a committee

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