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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: fine · bulb · cue · drill · rush · present · vault · court

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. vault — a safe
  4. present — the time now
  5. court — of law
  6. cue — for pool
  7. court — of a king
  8. court — for sport
  9. fine — all right
  10. drill — army training
  11. fine — high quality
  12. cue — a hint
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. drill — a practice
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. present — a gift
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. cue — a signal
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. drill — the tool
  23. present — there
  24. rush — a thrill

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