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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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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: race · bulb · safe · chip · stick · chest · row · pit

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. race — humankind
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. race — the arms race
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. row — a line
  8. bulb — for light
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. chest — of your body
  11. bulb — for light
  12. race — a contest
  13. chip — for betting
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. chest — a box
  18. chest — of your body
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. row — to paddle
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bulb — of a plant

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