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

Word bank: toast · club · bulb · patient · vault · degree

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. bulb — for light
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bulb — for light
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. club — a group
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. degree — from a university
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. degree — an amount
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. degree — temperature
  16. club — for golf
  17. toast — bread
  18. club — for dancing

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