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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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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: rock · temple · present · vault · chip · stock · prune · chair

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. chair — a leader
  3. stock — goods
  4. rock — a stone
  5. vault — a safe
  6. prune — to trim
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. present — there
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. stock — shares
  16. chip — for betting
  17. present — a gift
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. present — the time now
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. rock — music
  24. chair — a professorship

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