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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: rush · vault · bulb · net · trunk · mine · nail · pitch

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. net — for catching
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitch — completely
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. net — in sport
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bulb — for light
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. net — after costs
  22. vault — a safe
  23. rush — hurry
  24. trunk — of a tree

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