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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: club · present · wind · vault · bulb · pit

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bulb — for light
  3. vault — a safe
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. present — the time now
  6. pit — a hole
  7. bulb — for light
  8. club — for golf
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. club — a group
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. present — a gift
  15. club — for dancing
  16. pit — in a race
  17. present — there
  18. wind — moving air

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