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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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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: deal · cold · bulb · vault · pit · field · bay · squash

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — in a race
  3. vault — a safe
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cold — not warm
  8. field — for sport
  9. field — a subject
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. deal — to handle
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. cold — an illness
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. pit — a hole
  22. squash — the sport
  23. field — farmland
  24. bulb — for light

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