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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: vault · capital · pop · racket · lie · bass · bulb · cabinet

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pop — soda
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. capital — a city
  6. bass — the fish
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. lie — to recline
  10. bulb — for light
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. capital — money
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. vault — a safe
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. bass — low music
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. pop — music
  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