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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. squash — the sport
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bulb — for light
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. squash — to crush
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bulb — for light
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. pitch — completely
  12. clip — to cut
  13. clip — for paper
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. scale — size or range
  17. clip — a video
  18. scale — in music
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. kick — in football

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