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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: suit · lie · pitcher · board · vault · kid · cap · bulb

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. cap — of ice
  5. suit — to fit
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. vault — a safe
  8. board — to get on
  9. cap — a lid
  10. board — a committee
  11. suit — in cards
  12. bulb — for light
  13. cap — a hat
  14. suit — clothes
  15. bulb — for light
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. kid — child
  18. lie — to recline
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. kid — to tease
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. bulb — of a plant

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