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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: pitch · ground · bound · capital · vault · lean · bat · bulb

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. capital — money
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bulb — for light
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bound — certain
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — thin
  14. capital — a city
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — the earth
  17. bound — tied together
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. ground — crushed
  24. pitch — completely

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