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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 116 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: bat · bay · bulb · snap · pitch · vault · root · season

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. root — of a plant
  3. season — of the year
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. root — of a word
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bat — the animal
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. root — the cause
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. snap — to click
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. season — in sport

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