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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bulb — for light
  5. vault — a safe
  6. pop — to visit
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. pop — music
  9. bank — for money
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. stand — to bear
  12. bulb — for light
  13. drill — the tool
  14. pop — soda
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. drill — a practice
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bore — to tire
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. bank — for money
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. drill — army training

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