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

Word bank: pit · vault · bulb · net · tear · kick

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. vault — a safe
  4. pit — in a race
  5. bulb — for light
  6. tear — from crying
  7. kick — in football
  8. tear — from crying
  9. net — for catching
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — after costs
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. kick — with a leg

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