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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: safe · chair · bass · bulb · chip · net · dip · court

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bulb — for light
  3. chip — for betting
  4. court — for sport
  5. net — in sport
  6. court — of law
  7. dip — to sink
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chair — a leader
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bass — the fish
  12. net — after costs
  13. bass — low music
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. net — for catching
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. court — of a king
  24. chip — to eat

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