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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: spell · vault · racket · ground · bowl · bulb · ball · game

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. ground — crushed
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bulb — for light
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. ball — a great time
  8. game — wild animals
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. game — a match
  14. vault — a safe
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. spell — letters
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ground — the earth
  21. spell — magic
  22. ball — a dance
  23. bulb — for light
  24. ground — a position

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