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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: coach · safe · spring · chip · cabinet · wax · ball · field

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. field — for sport
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. ball — a great time
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. chip — to eat
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. spring — of water
  15. field — farmland
  16. ball — a dance
  17. spring — a coil
  18. spring — the season
  19. field — a subject
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wax — to grow
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. ball — a round shape

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