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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: row · cap · ball · vault · wake · trunk · fork · bulb

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cap — a hat
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. ball — a great time
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. wake — a trail
  13. row — a line
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. vault — a safe
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. fork — in a road
  20. ball — a dance
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — of ice
  24. bulb — for light

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