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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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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: chip · race · dip · shower · safe · racket · pit · bulb

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. dip — to sink
  5. shower — to wash
  6. chip — for betting
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. race — a contest
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bulb — for light
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. race — the arms race
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. shower — rain
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. bulb — for light
  21. chip — to eat
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. race — humankind
  24. dip — a sauce

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