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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: present · bulb · field · vault · deal · tear

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — to handle
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — to rip
  8. present — there
  9. tear — from crying
  10. field — farmland
  11. present — the time now
  12. bulb — for light
  13. field — a subject
  14. vault — a safe
  15. field — for sport
  16. present — a gift
  17. bulb — for light
  18. vault — an arched ceiling

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