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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: pound · present · bulb · press · vault · toast

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. press — newspapers
  5. vault — a safe
  6. toast — bread
  7. present — the time now
  8. bulb — for light
  9. press — a publisher
  10. pound — a weight
  11. press — to push
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. present — a gift
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. present — there

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