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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — music
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. stock — goods
  9. vault — a safe
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. fine — all right
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. swing — in golf
  15. pitch — completely
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. fine — high quality
  23. chair — a leader
  24. trunk — of a tree

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