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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
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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: tear · vault · pitch · season · bulb · rush · wake · root

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. vault — a safe
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. season — in sport
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. tear — to rip
  9. root — of a plant
  10. tear — from crying
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — a trail
  15. root — the cause
  16. tear — from crying
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. root — of a word
  23. bulb — for light
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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