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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.

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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: fall · pit · safe · land · cap · chip · bowl · bulb

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. land — a country
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. fall — to drop
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — for betting
  8. cap — a hat
  9. chip — to eat
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. cap — of ice
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bulb — for light
  19. land — to come down
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. pit — a hole
  22. land — ground
  23. cap — a lid
  24. fall — the season

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