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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: trunk · bulb · pop · cue · vault · firm · land · pound

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. firm — steady
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. firm — decided
  6. cue — for pool
  7. land — a country
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. land — to come down
  11. vault — a safe
  12. pound — a weight
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — a hint
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. pop — music
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. land — ground
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. pop — soda
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. firm — a company
  24. pound — to hit hard

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