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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: squash · bulb · cap · charge · wave · vault · swing · bat

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. charge — a price
  3. swing — music
  4. bulb — for light
  5. squash — the sport
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. cap — a hat
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. vault — a safe
  12. cap — of ice
  13. swing — to play on
  14. squash — to crush
  15. cap — a lid
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bat — the animal
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. charge — in control
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. swing — in golf

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