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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: pitcher · file · staff · racket · fall · club · safe · craft

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. fall — to drop
  3. club — for dancing
  4. file — a line of people
  5. fall — the season
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. club — for golf
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. club — a group
  15. fall — to drop
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. craft — a skill
  18. file — a tool
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. staff — employees
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. craft — boats
  23. file — a document
  24. racket — for tennis

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