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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: land · pitch · bulb · game · vault · safe · last · content

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. last — to go on
  3. bulb — for light
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. last — final
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. content — happy
  12. land — to come down
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. vault — a safe
  16. game — wild animals
  17. last — finally
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pitch — completely
  20. land — a country
  21. content — the amount
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. land — ground
  24. game — a match

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