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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.

Make a worksheet

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: safe · chair · key · wake · ground · bulb · land · pit

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pit — a hole
  3. wake — a trail
  4. ground — crushed
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. key — in music
  7. bulb — for light
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. land — a country
  10. key — for a lock
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. land — to come down
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. land — ground
  19. ground — a position
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. ground — the earth
  22. bulb — for light
  23. chair — a leader
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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