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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 120 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: trunk · bulb · swing · vault · pitch · content · degree · chair

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. degree — temperature
  9. swing — music
  10. degree — from a university
  11. pitch — completely
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. bulb — for light
  14. chair — a leader
  15. bulb — for light
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. vault — a safe
  18. degree — an amount
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. swing — to play on
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. content — happy
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. content — the amount

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