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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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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: bulb · tube · cabinet · last · field · row · chip · safe

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. tube — the underground
  3. row — a line
  4. chip — to eat
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. tube — a container
  9. row — to paddle
  10. chip — for betting
  11. field — for sport
  12. last — finally
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. last — to go on
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. field — a subject
  19. field — farmland
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — for light
  24. last — final

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