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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. mine — for digging
  8. vault — a safe
  9. cold — not warm
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. game — wild animals
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. game — a match
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. cold — an illness
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — for light

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