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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: pop · file · vault · board · spell · swing · bound · bulb

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. swing — to play on
  3. swing — in golf
  4. file — a line of people
  5. pop — soda
  6. bound — tied together
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. pop — music
  9. bound — certain
  10. spell — letters
  11. swing — music
  12. vault — a safe
  13. file — a document
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. pop — to visit
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. file — a tool
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. bound — obliged
  21. spell — magic
  22. spell — a short time
  23. board — a committee
  24. bulb — for light

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