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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 116 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: board · cold · vault · bulb · racket · firm · march · shower

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. march — the month
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. shower — rain
  9. shower — to wash
  10. cold — an illness
  11. firm — steady
  12. march — music
  13. cold — not warm
  14. firm — decided
  15. board — to get on
  16. bulb — for light
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. firm — a company
  21. board — a committee
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. racket — a loud noise

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