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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 · vault · stand · field · plane · jam · chest · bore

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. bore — to drill
  6. root — the cause
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. stand — to bear
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. chest — a box
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. root — of a plant
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. field — for sport
  15. chest — of your body
  16. field — farmland
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. bore — to tire
  19. vault — a safe
  20. root — of a word
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. plane — a tool
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. field — a subject

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