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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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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: bulb · vault · stock · chip · bay · swing · game · kid

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. swing — music
  3. game — wild animals
  4. kid — to tease
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. game — a match
  9. swing — to play on
  10. stock — goods
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. vault — a safe
  15. bulb — for light
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. swing — in golf
  18. kid — child
  19. stock — shares
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. chip — for betting
  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