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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: pound · fan · pitch · bulb · file · press · net · vault

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. press — a publisher
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. press — to push
  9. press — newspapers
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. vault — a safe
  12. net — after costs
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bulb — for light
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. file — a document
  19. file — a line of people
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. net — in sport
  23. pitch — completely
  24. net — for catching

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