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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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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. drill — army training
  3. file — a tool
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. track — to keep track
  6. date — the fruit
  7. game — a match
  8. drill — the tool
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. chip — for betting
  11. track — a path
  12. object — a thing
  13. file — a document
  14. drill — a practice
  15. track — a song
  16. file — a line of people
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. object — an aim
  19. chip — to eat
  20. game — wild animals
  21. object — to protest
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. safe — a strongbox

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