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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. file — a tool
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. club — for golf
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. track — a path
  7. file — a line of people
  8. net — for catching
  9. race — the arms race
  10. track — to keep track
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. charge — in control
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. club — a group
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. charge — electricity
  17. race — a contest
  18. race — humankind
  19. file — a document
  20. track — a song
  21. club — for dancing
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. net — in sport
  24. charge — a price

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