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

Word bank: pit · swing · bowl · chair · bulb · pound · stock · vault

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. pound — a weight
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. swing — to play on
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pit — a hole
  13. swing — in golf
  14. vault — a safe
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. stock — goods
  18. bulb — for light
  19. swing — music
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. stock — shares
  24. bulb — for light

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