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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. season — in sport
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. stand — to bear
  7. chip — for betting
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. cell — in biology
  11. season — of the year
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. cell — a phone
  14. chip — to eat
  15. stock — shares
  16. bark — to shout
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. stock — goods
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. chair — a leader
  24. vault — a safe

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