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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. vault — a safe
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. tube — a container
  6. wake — a trail
  7. land — ground
  8. land — a country
  9. track — a song
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. land — to come down
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. track — a path
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. mark — a trace
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bulb — for light
  23. track — to keep track
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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