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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: ball · bulb · chip · rock · saw · chest · safe · field

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. field — a subject
  3. ball — a great time
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. field — farmland
  6. chip — for betting
  7. rock — a stone
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. chest — a box
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. field — for sport
  13. saw — the tool
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chip — to eat
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. rock — music
  23. saw — the tool
  24. chest — of your body

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