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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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Word bank
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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: track · vault · chip · bulb · season · bore · ground · pitch

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. pitch — completely
  3. chip — for betting
  4. track — a song
  5. track — a path
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. season — in sport
  9. bulb — for light
  10. ground — the earth
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. ground — a position
  15. season — of the year
  16. vault — a safe
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. chip — to eat
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bore — to drill
  21. track — to keep track
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. chip — in a computer

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