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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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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: fan · club · rock · wind · file · safe · ground · squash

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. club — for dancing
  3. wind — moving air
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. file — a document
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. club — for golf
  9. file — a line of people
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. ground — crushed
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rock — music
  14. ground — a position
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. squash — the sport
  17. club — a group
  18. wind — moving air
  19. ground — the earth
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. file — a tool
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. rock — a stone
  24. squash — to crush

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