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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. spell — magic
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. cell — a phone
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. vault — a safe
  11. spell — letters
  12. bank — for money
  13. swing — to play on
  14. stock — shares
  15. bank — for money
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. spell — a short time
  18. bank — of a river
  19. swing — music
  20. bulb — for light
  21. stock — goods
  22. swing — in golf
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. cell — in biology

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