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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 120 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: fall · straw · can · pit · swing · game · bulb · vault

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. game — wild animals
  3. bulb — for light
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. swing — music
  7. pit — a hole
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. pit — in a race
  10. swing — in golf
  11. can — a tin
  12. vault — a safe
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. can — to be able to
  15. fall — to drop
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. fall — the season
  19. swing — to play on
  20. can — a tin
  21. fall — to drop
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. game — a match

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