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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: rock · pitch · wave · bulb · prune · cold · season · vault

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  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. vault — a safe
  2. bulb — for light
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. prune — to trim
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — completely
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. cold — an illness
  15. rock — a stone
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. season — of the year
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. cold — not warm
  21. season — in sport
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  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