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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 120 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
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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: ground · pitcher · pass · row · land · stock · bulb · vault

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  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. vault — in gymnastics
  2. land — ground
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. bulb — for light
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — crushed
  8. stock — goods
  9. vault — a safe
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bulb — for light
  12. row — to paddle
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. stock — shares
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. land — a country
  19. ground — the earth
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. land — to come down
  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