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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: root · pass · cold · court · mouse · vault · racket · branch

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. court — for sport
  3. pass — a permit
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. vault — a safe
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. root — of a plant
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. root — the cause
  11. cold — not warm
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. cold — an illness
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. root — of a word
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. court — of a king
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. court — of law
  22. branch — a division
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. cold — the Cold War

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