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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: club · rest · chip · bulb · content · cue · shower · vault

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. club — a group
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. content — happy
  5. shower — rain
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. chip — for betting
  8. shower — to wash
  9. club — for dancing
  10. cue — for pool
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chip — to eat
  13. vault — a safe
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. rest — what's left
  17. cue — a signal
  18. club — for golf
  19. cue — a hint
  20. rest — a break
  21. rest — what's left
  22. content — the amount
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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