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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: racket · safe · march · foot · fan · file · mouse · bay

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. march — the month
  3. file — a document
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. file — a tool
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. march — music
  16. march — the month
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. foot — a measure
  22. file — a line of people
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. mouse — for a computer

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