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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 120 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 · bowl · can · cabinet · bay · present · chair · stock

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  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. bowl — to roll
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — goods
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. vault — a safe
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. present — a gift
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. can — a tin
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. chair — a leader
  18. present — the time now
  19. can — a tin
  20. present — there
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  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