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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 120 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: last · root · vault · pitcher · branch · ball · bound · tube

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. bound — certain
  3. ball — a great time
  4. branch — a division
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. last — final
  11. bound — tied together
  12. root — the cause
  13. tube — a container
  14. bound — obliged
  15. last — finally
  16. vault — a safe
  17. root — of a plant
  18. last — to go on
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. tube — the underground
  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