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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: coach · bulb · season · game · bat · fan · vault · cabinet

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. game — a match
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. game — wild animals
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. season — of the year
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. season — in sport
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bat — the animal

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