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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: stock · lash · bulb · bat · vault · game · pop · pass

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. pop — soda
  3. bat — the animal
  4. game — wild animals
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pop — music
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. pop — to visit
  12. bulb — for light
  13. game — a match
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. stock — goods
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. vault — a safe
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. stock — shares

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