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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.

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: arm · vault · season · rock · chip · ball · bulb · march

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. bulb — for light
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. vault — a safe
  7. rock — a stone
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. season — of the year
  12. march — music
  13. march — the month
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. ball — a great time
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. bulb — for light
  18. season — in sport
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. chip — to eat
  21. rock — music
  22. march — the month
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. chip — for betting

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