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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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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: swing · chair · stock · bulb · board · sharp · stick · arm

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  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. swing — to play on
  2. bulb — for light
  3. swing — in golf
  4. stock — shares
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. swing — music
  10. chair — a leader
  11. board — a committee
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stock — goods
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. board — to get on
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. chair — to sit on
  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