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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: ball · vault · season · cell · racket · bulb · firm · sharp

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  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. racket — for tennis
  2. season — of the year
  3. ball — a great time
  4. cell — in biology
  5. firm — steady
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. vault — a safe
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. firm — a company
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. bulb — for light
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. season — in sport
  16. cell — a phone
  17. bulb — for light
  18. ball — a dance
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. sharp — clever
  23. firm — decided
  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