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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: craft · fine · vault · bulb · pitch · bat · snap · chest

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. craft — boats
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bulb — for light
  8. chest — a box
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. fine — all right
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. chest — of your body
  15. vault — a safe
  16. bulb — for light
  17. chest — of your body
  18. fine — high quality
  19. snap — to click
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — completely
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. craft — a skill

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