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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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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 · vault · pitch · wind · leaves · patient · present · suit

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. present — a gift
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. suit — to fit
  10. vault — a safe
  11. wind — moving air
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. wind — moving air
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. present — there
  18. present — the time now
  19. pitch — completely
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. suit — clothes
  24. patient — a sick person

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