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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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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: bear · arm · court · mine · bulb · vault · chip · bay

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. court — of a king
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. bulb — for light
  8. court — for sport
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. vault — a safe
  11. chip — for betting
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. court — of law
  18. bear — the animal
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. chip — to eat

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