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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 · chip · arm · field · bulb · nail · drill · capital

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. field — for sport
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. drill — the tool
  8. field — farmland
  9. bulb — for light
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. field — a subject
  13. capital — money
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. capital — a city
  20. chip — for betting
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. drill — army training
  23. drill — a practice
  24. nail — on a finger

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