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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: temple · bulb · pop · court · vault · cap · sharp · club

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. court — for sport
  3. club — for dancing
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. cap — of ice
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. cap — a hat
  8. club — for golf
  9. pop — to visit
  10. sharp — clever
  11. court — of a king
  12. cap — a lid
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. pop — music
  15. court — of law
  16. club — a group
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. bulb — for light
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. pop — soda
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. vault — a safe

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