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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: shower · pitch · root · mug · land · vault · kick · cabinet

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  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. land — ground
  3. shower — rain
  4. land — a country
  5. mug — to rob
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. root — of a plant
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. kick — in football
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. mug — a cup
  15. land — to come down
  16. pitch — completely
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. shower — to wash
  19. mug — a face
  20. root — the cause
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. vault — a safe
  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