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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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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: rush · vault · bowl · hand · prune · game · bass · temple

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  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. vault — a safe
  2. game — wild animals
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. game — a match
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. hand — in cards
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bass — low music
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. hand — help
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. bass — the fish
  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