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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: mine · date · jam · toast · vault · pitch · bulb · snap

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. toast — bread
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. date — the fruit
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. pitch — completely
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. vault — a safe
  18. snap — to click
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mine — for digging
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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