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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: pitch · vault · degree · pitcher · press · swing · bulb · rash

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. degree — from a university
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. press — a publisher
  9. degree — temperature
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. press — to push
  12. rash — hasty
  13. swing — to play on
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. degree — an amount
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. swing — music
  19. press — newspapers
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. rash — a series
  22. swing — in golf
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. vault — a safe

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