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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bowl · scale · bark · stock · pit · can · chair · swing

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. swing — in golf
  5. can — a tin
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. chair — a leader
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. scale — size or range
  10. swing — music
  11. pit — a hole
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. can — a tin
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. stock — goods
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. can — to be able to
  20. swing — to play on
  21. scale — in music
  22. stock — shares
  23. pit — in a race
  24. chair — to sit on

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