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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 116 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: bore · bulb · race · vault · pitcher · fan · field · bay

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. race — a contest
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. field — for sport
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. vault — a safe
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. field — a subject
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. race — the arms race
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. field — farmland
  24. race — humankind

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