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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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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: bowl · cap · track · scale · wind · vault · straw · bulb

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — in music
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. wind — moving air
  7. track — a song
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. cap — a hat
  14. track — a path
  15. scale — size or range
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. vault — a safe
  18. track — to keep track
  19. wind — moving air
  20. cap — a lid
  21. bulb — for light
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. bulb — for light
  24. cap — of ice

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