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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: vault · chip · cap · wake · bulb · temple · field · racket

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — of ice
  3. vault — a safe
  4. chip — to eat
  5. wake — a trail
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. chip — for betting
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. cap — a hat
  20. field — farmland
  21. field — a subject
  22. field — for sport
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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