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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: press · bulb · game · ball · toast · lean · net · vault

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. game — wild animals
  4. bulb — for light
  5. net — after costs
  6. ball — a great time
  7. net — for catching
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. press — newspapers
  10. lean — to bend
  11. net — in sport
  12. lean — thin
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. press — to push
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. press — a publisher
  19. vault — a safe
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. ball — a dance
  23. bulb — for light
  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