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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: cabinet · bulb · vault · racket · spring · fork

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. spring — the season
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. spring — of water
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. fork — in a road
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. spring — a coil
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bulb — for light
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. bulb — of a plant

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