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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 112 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: game · cold · bulb · rush · pound · pitcher · vault · charge

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. charge — electricity
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. charge — in control
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. cold — not warm
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. pound — a weight
  12. bulb — for light
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. rush — hurry
  16. cold — an illness
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. charge — a price
  22. game — wild animals
  23. game — a match
  24. bulb — for light

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