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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bowl · vault · band · pitcher · date · stand · bulb · charge

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bulb — for light
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. vault — a safe
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. band — a ring
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. date — the fruit
  13. stand — to bear
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. charge — in control
  16. charge — electricity
  17. band — a music group
  18. charge — a price
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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