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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: pitch · chest · bulb · pit · vault · charge · row · lie

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pitch — completely
  4. chest — a box
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pit — in a race
  7. chest — of your body
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. charge — in control
  13. lie — to recline
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. row — a line
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. charge — a price
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. bulb — for light
  23. row — to paddle
  24. pit — a hole

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