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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: swing · march · bulb · deal · vault · rest · mate · drill

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. mate — a friend
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — army training
  8. march — music
  9. mate — to breed
  10. swing — to play on
  11. march — the month
  12. drill — a practice
  13. deal — to handle
  14. mate — a partner
  15. swing — music
  16. bulb — for light
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. vault — a safe
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — a break
  21. rest — what's left
  22. march — the month
  23. swing — in golf
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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