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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 · vault · game · cold · land · chair · cue · march

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cue — for pool
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. cold — not warm
  6. vault — a safe
  7. march — the month
  8. cue — a hint
  9. game — a match
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. cold — an illness
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — ground
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. land — a country
  17. game — wild animals
  18. bulb — for light
  19. march — the month
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. march — music
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. cue — a signal
  24. chair — a leader

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