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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: pitch · bulb · board · track · stock · chair · cabinet · fan

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. chair — a leader
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. track — a path
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. stock — goods
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. track — to keep track
  13. bulb — for light
  14. board — to get on
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. track — a song
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. stock — shares
  20. pitch — completely
  21. bulb — for light
  22. board — a committee
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. cabinet — ministers

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