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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: bulb · clip · pit · stick · can · roll · squash · vault

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. clip — for paper
  4. can — a tin
  5. pit — a hole
  6. clip — a video
  7. roll — a cake
  8. clip — to cut
  9. pit — in a race
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. vault — a safe
  13. can — to be able to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. can — a tin
  16. bulb — for light
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. roll — a list
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. squash — to crush
  21. bulb — for light
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bulb — of a plant

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