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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: bulb · cap · vault · pitch · file · wind · squash · deal

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. vault — a safe
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. squash — the sport
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — a lid
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. file — a document
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. file — a tool
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. squash — to crush
  17. wind — moving air
  18. deal — to handle
  19. file — a line of people
  20. cap — of ice
  21. pitch — completely
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. bulb — for light

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