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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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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. drill — the tool
  5. cap — of ice
  6. vault — a safe
  7. bulb — for light
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. cap — a lid
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bulb — for light
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. drill — army training
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fork — in a road
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. drill — a practice
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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