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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: chair · bulb · season · row · bowl · pit · scale · arm

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. row — a line
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. row — to paddle
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. scale — size or range
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. pit — in a race
  13. bulb — for light
  14. season — in sport
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. chair — a leader
  18. scale — in music
  19. bulb — for light
  20. season — of the year
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. pit — a hole
  24. row — a quarrel

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