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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: tear · perch · vault · object · drill · stick · bulb · ground

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. bulb — for light
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bulb — for light
  5. ground — the earth
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. perch — the fish
  8. object — to protest
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. vault — a safe
  11. tear — to rip
  12. ground — crushed
  13. drill — army training
  14. tear — from crying
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. object — a thing
  17. object — an aim
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. drill — a practice
  20. drill — the tool
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. tear — from crying
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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