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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: root · sharp · wave · shower · vault · trunk · pitch · ball

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. shower — to wash
  6. shower — rain
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. vault — a safe
  11. root — of a word
  12. sharp — clever
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. root — the cause
  15. root — of a plant
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. ball — a great time
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pitch — completely

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