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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
468
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: bulb · last · vault · pitcher · bass · squash · stick · chair

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  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. squash — the sport
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. bass — the fish
  7. vault — a safe
  8. last — finally
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bulb — for light
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. chair — a leader
  16. last — to go on
  17. bulb — for light
  18. squash — to crush
  19. bass — low music
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. last — final
  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