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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: game · vault · fine · pit · rest · bear · track · bulb

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bulb — for light
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. fine — all right
  9. rest — a break
  10. game — a match
  11. game — wild animals
  12. track — a song
  13. track — to keep track
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. bulb — for light
  19. rest — what's left
  20. vault — a safe
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bear — the animal
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. pit — in a race

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