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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: bore · fork · saw · vault · bulb · spell · jam · game

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bore — to drill
  4. vault — a safe
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. spell — magic
  7. saw — the tool
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. game — a match
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. bore — to tire
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. saw — the tool
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. bulb — for light
  20. game — wild animals
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. spell — letters
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. fork — in a road

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