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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: key · pitcher · bowl · season · bulb · chair · arm · stock

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. key — for a lock
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. bulb — for light
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. key — in music
  9. stock — goods
  10. season — of the year
  11. key — the most important part
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. season — in sport
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. chair — a leader
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. stock — shares
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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