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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 116 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: staff · lash · chip · safe · root · field · bowl · court

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. court — for sport
  5. chip — for betting
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. court — of law
  9. staff — a stick
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. root — of a word
  12. field — a subject
  13. field — for sport
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. staff — employees
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. root — the cause
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. court — of a king
  20. root — of a plant
  21. staff — employees
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. field — farmland
  24. lash — to lash out

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