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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 116 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 · race · bank · ball · field · lash · bore · vault

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. field — for sport
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a dance
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. field — a subject
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. ball — a great time
  10. race — humankind
  11. bank — for money
  12. race — a contest
  13. vault — a safe
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. bank — for money
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. race — the arms race
  19. bore — to tire
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. field — farmland
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bore — to drill

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