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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: ball · shower · vault · squash · scale · cap · current · bulb

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  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. squash — to crush
  2. bulb — for light
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. ball — a great time
  5. cap — of ice
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. scale — size or range
  9. cap — a hat
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. ball — a dance
  12. current — of water
  13. squash — the sport
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. shower — to wash
  16. bulb — for light
  17. current — happening now
  18. vault — a safe
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. scale — in music
  21. cap — a lid
  22. current — electric
  23. shower — rain
  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