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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: track · file · safe · bulb · fine · press · net · row

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  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. bulb — of a plant
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. track — a song
  4. file — a document
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. fine — all right
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. row — a line
  9. press — a publisher
  10. row — to paddle
  11. net — after costs
  12. press — newspapers
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. bulb — for light
  15. net — in sport
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fine — high quality
  18. track — a path
  19. track — to keep track
  20. file — a line of people
  21. press — to push
  22. bulb — for light
  23. net — for catching
  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