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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · jam · cabinet · row · spring · pop · root · date

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. root — the cause
  3. vault — a safe
  4. date — the fruit
  5. spring — a coil
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. pop — soda
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. root — of a plant
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. row — a line
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. root — of a word
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. spring — of water
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. pop — music
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. spring — the season
  24. row — to paddle

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