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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 120 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: pitcher · rule · vault · face · bowl · bulb · capital · mouse

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. face — to confront
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to point toward
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. rule — a law
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. capital — money
  19. vault — a safe
  20. rule — government
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. capital — a city

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