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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: bat · vault · bulb · firm · rest · club · tube · ruler

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bulb — for light
  8. firm — decided
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bulb — for light
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. rest — what's left
  14. vault — a safe
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bat — the animal
  17. club — a group
  18. club — for golf
  19. rest — what's left
  20. firm — steady
  21. tube — a container
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. rest — a break

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