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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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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: file · press · club · safe · pop · rule

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. 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. club — for dancing
  2. file — a line of people
  3. pop — to visit
  4. file — a document
  5. pop — music
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. press — to push
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. file — a tool
  10. pop — soda
  11. rule — a law
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. rule — government
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — a publisher
  17. club — a group
  18. 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