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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 · vault · coach · bound · drill · pitch · bat · trunk

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. drill — army training
  9. bound — tied together
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. pitch — completely
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. bound — certain
  15. drill — a practice
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. bulb — for light
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bulb — for light
  23. vault — a safe
  24. drill — the tool

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