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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. net — in sport
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bulb — for light
  7. net — after costs
  8. bulb — for light
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. object — a thing
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. band — a ring
  16. band — a music group
  17. object — to protest
  18. net — for catching
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. object — an aim
  21. chest — a box
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. vault — a safe

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