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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: chair · fine · roll · cell · tube · field · bulb · safe

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. bulb — for light
  7. roll — a list
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. roll — a cake
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. tube — a container
  12. cell — in biology
  13. field — a subject
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bulb — for light
  16. field — farmland
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. fine — high quality
  19. chair — a leader
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. fine — all right
  22. field — for sport
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. cell — a phone

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