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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: row · track · current · pitch · vault · bulb · cold · hide

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. bulb — for light
  4. current — of water
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. row — a line
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. row — to paddle
  11. track — a song
  12. current — electric
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. cold — an illness
  15. vault — a safe
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. cold — not warm
  18. current — happening now
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. track — a path
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — completely
  23. track — to keep track
  24. hide — to keep secret

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