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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: pitcher · swing · stick · row · vault · bulb · net · date

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. vault — a safe
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bulb — for light
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. net — after costs
  11. swing — to play on
  12. net — in sport
  13. date — the fruit
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. net — for catching
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. swing — music
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. swing — in golf
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. row — a line

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