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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. bank — for money
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. bulb — for light
  5. scale — size or range
  6. band — a music group
  7. band — a ring
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. face — to confront
  10. roll — a cake
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. scale — in music
  13. net — for catching
  14. face — part of the head
  15. bank — for money
  16. vault — a safe
  17. net — after costs
  18. bank — of a river
  19. roll — a list
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. net — in sport
  22. bulb — for light
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. face — to point toward

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