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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: bulb · ground · wound · arm · vault · bark · pound · pitch

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bulb — for light
  4. ground — crushed
  5. wound — an injury
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. ground — the earth
  9. wound — an injury
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bark — to shout
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bulb — for light
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. vault — a safe
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. pound — a weight
  23. ground — a position
  24. arm — a part of something

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