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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. bank — for money
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bank — for money
  5. club — a group
  6. club — for dancing
  7. field — for sport
  8. file — a tool
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. field — farmland
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. file — a line of people
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. field — a subject
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. pound — a weight
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. bank — of a river
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. club — for golf

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