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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: safe · ruler · file · cap · track · game · stick · tube

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. track — to keep track
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. cap — a hat
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. file — a tool
  8. tube — the underground
  9. cap — a lid
  10. file — a document
  11. file — a line of people
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. cap — of ice
  14. track — a path
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. tube — a container
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. game — a match
  23. game — wild animals
  24. ruler — for measuring

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