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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: pitch · bank · file · can · season · bulb · bark · vault

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. bulb — for light
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. bank — of a river
  5. can — a tin
  6. season — in sport
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. can — to be able to
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. file — a document
  11. vault — a safe
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. file — a tool
  14. bank — for money
  15. season — of the year
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pitch — completely
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bank — for money
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. file — a line of people
  24. can — a tin

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