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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. pitch — completely
  5. season — of the year
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. bulb — for light
  8. season — in sport
  9. vault — a safe
  10. cap — a lid
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rash — a series
  13. cap — of ice
  14. bark — to shout
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. season — to add flavour

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