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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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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: bear · pitcher · jam · field · vault · game · chip · bulb

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. bear — the animal
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. game — a match
  5. vault — a safe
  6. field — for sport
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bear — the animal
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. field — a subject
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. field — farmland
  22. chip — for betting
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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