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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: vault · mug · tube · mark · season · bulb · rest · ball

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — what's left
  4. vault — a safe
  5. tube — a container
  6. season — in sport
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mug — a face
  9. ball — a dance
  10. mug — to rob
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. ball — a great time
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rest — a break
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. mug — a cup
  22. season — of the year
  23. mark — a grade
  24. tube — the underground

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