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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.

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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. can — a tin
  4. club — for golf
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. kid — child
  8. ball — a dance
  9. can — to be able to
  10. club — a group
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. can — a tin
  13. club — for dancing
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. ball — a great time
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. file — a tool
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. file — a line of people
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. kid — to tease
  24. wake — a trail

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