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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 120 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: bulb · capital · suit · calf · bowl · club · vault · wound

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. club — for golf
  3. suit — in cards
  4. vault — a safe
  5. capital — a city
  6. suit — clothes
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. club — for dancing
  11. capital — money
  12. bulb — for light
  13. club — a group
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bulb — for light
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. suit — to fit
  19. wound — an injury
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. bowl — a dish

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