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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bulb · present · vault · board · march · straw · field · mark

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. present — the time now
  6. field — for sport
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. march — music
  9. board — to get on
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. field — a subject
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bulb — for light
  14. march — the month
  15. mark — a grade
  16. vault — a safe
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. march — the month
  19. present — a gift
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. present — there
  23. field — farmland
  24. straw — a straw man

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