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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: band · bulb · vault · roll · press · dip · pop · bear

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. band — a ring
  4. press — a publisher
  5. pop — music
  6. dip — to sink
  7. press — to push
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bear — the animal
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. vault — a safe
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. band — a music group
  20. press — newspapers
  21. roll — a list
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pop — soda

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