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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.

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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. kick — in football
  9. net — for catching
  10. stock — shares
  11. net — after costs
  12. bulb — for light
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. chair — a leader
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. stock — goods
  18. net — in sport
  19. bulb — for light
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. vault — a safe
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. bulb — of a plant

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