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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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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: rule · stick · vault · ground · bulb · rash · land · club

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rash — a series
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. land — a country
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. ground — the earth
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. club — a group
  13. rule — government
  14. land — ground
  15. rule — a law
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bulb — for light
  19. club — for golf
  20. ground — crushed
  21. ground — a position
  22. vault — a safe
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. land — to come down

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