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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. bank — for money
  3. tear — to rip
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bulb — for light
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bass — low music
  11. field — for sport
  12. tear — from crying
  13. field — a subject
  14. bank — of a river
  15. tear — from crying
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. field — farmland
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — a stone
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. bulb — for light
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. bank — for money

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