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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: vault · wax · root · racket · board · scale · fan · pound

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. root — of a plant
  4. wax — to grow
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. root — of a word
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. pound — a weight
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. board — to get on
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. board — a committee
  21. scale — size or range
  22. scale — in music
  23. vault — a safe
  24. racket — for tennis

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