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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: vault · board · bay · scale · rush · bulb · clip · pop

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. board — a committee
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bulb — for light
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. scale — in music
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. clip — for paper
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. scale — size or range
  16. clip — to cut
  17. pop — to visit
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. clip — a video
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. pop — music
  24. board — to get on

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