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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: track · saw · bat · file · club · hide · march · safe

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. club — for dancing
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. club — for golf
  5. march — the month
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. saw — the tool
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. march — the month
  10. track — a song
  11. saw — the tool
  12. track — to keep track
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. track — a path
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. march — music
  17. bat — the animal
  18. club — a group
  19. file — a line of people
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. file — a document
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. file — a tool

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