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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: stick · wax · drill · ground · chip · safe · arm · court

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. court — for sport
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. court — of law
  5. ground — the earth
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — for betting
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. chip — to eat
  12. drill — the tool
  13. wax — to grow
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. court — of a king
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. drill — a practice
  20. ground — a position
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. ground — crushed
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. drill — army training

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