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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: board · safe · bulb · bowl · cold · vault · bear · track

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. track — a path
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. board — a committee
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. cold — an illness
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. bear — the animal
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. board — to get on
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. vault — a safe
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. track — a song
  24. track — to keep track

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