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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.

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: chip · season · safe · jam · field · content · bulb · snap

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. chip — to eat
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. snap — to click
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. content — happy
  10. field — for sport
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. field — farmland
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. content — the amount
  16. bulb — for light
  17. season — of the year
  18. bulb — for light
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. chip — for betting
  21. field — a subject
  22. season — in sport
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. content — videos and posts

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