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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: game · arm · toast · vault · bulb · pound · date · capital

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. toast — bread
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. game — a match
  11. vault — a safe
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. capital — money
  14. date — the fruit
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. capital — a city
  21. pound — a weight
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. arm — part of the body
  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