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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: mouse · fork · bulb · saw · vault · band · root · bass

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. vault — a safe
  4. band — a ring
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. root — of a plant
  12. band — a music group
  13. bass — low music
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. root — the cause
  18. bass — the fish
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. fork — in a road
  21. root — of a word
  22. bulb — for light
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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