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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: band · vault · ball · date · bulb · drill · bank · cap

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. drill — the tool
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. ball — a great time
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bank — for money
  12. vault — a safe
  13. drill — army training
  14. drill — a practice
  15. ball — a dance
  16. band — a ring
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. date — the fruit
  19. bank — for money
  20. cap — of ice
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. band — a music group
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. bank — of a river

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