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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: object · bulb · date · pop · vault · bore · nail · game

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to tire
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. object — an aim
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. pop — to visit
  7. vault — a safe
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. object — a thing
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pop — soda
  13. bulb — for light
  14. date — the fruit
  15. pop — music
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. game — a match
  23. game — wild animals
  24. object — to protest

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