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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: bass · drill · swing · bulb · scale · spring · bowl · vault

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. swing — in golf
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. vault — a safe
  9. bass — the fish
  10. drill — a practice
  11. scale — size or range
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. spring — the season
  14. scale — in music
  15. drill — army training
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. drill — the tool
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. swing — music
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bulb — for light
  23. spring — of water
  24. swing — to play on

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