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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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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: vault · chip · rash · bulb · stem · present · chair · swing

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. present — there
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — in golf
  5. vault — a safe
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. present — a gift
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. rash — a series
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. present — the time now
  16. chip — for betting
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. chip — to eat
  20. swing — to play on
  21. stem — to come from
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. rash — hasty
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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