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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: bulb · fork · pit · game · rash · vault · lie · squash

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. game — a match
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. bulb — for light
  5. game — wild animals
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — a hole
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. squash — the sport
  21. pit — in a race
  22. fork — in a road
  23. lie — to recline
  24. vault — a safe

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