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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 120 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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. court — of law
  3. race — humankind
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. cap — of ice
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. vault — a safe
  11. bulb — for light
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bank — for money
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pit — in a race
  16. court — of a king
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — a contest
  19. cap — a lid
  20. court — for sport
  21. cap — a hat
  22. pit — a hole
  23. bank — for money
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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