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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 120 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: bore · track · vault · swing · bulb · degree · prune · bear

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. swing — music
  10. track — to keep track
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. vault — a safe
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bulb — for light
  15. degree — temperature
  16. prune — to trim
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. swing — in golf
  19. track — a path
  20. degree — an amount
  21. swing — to play on
  22. track — a song
  23. degree — from a university
  24. prune — to trim

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