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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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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: safe · degree · toast · stand · club · suit · swing · file

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. swing — to play on
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. stand — to bear
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. suit — to fit
  8. degree — temperature
  9. file — a document
  10. club — for dancing
  11. suit — in cards
  12. swing — music
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. club — for golf
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. degree — an amount
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. toast — bread
  20. club — a group
  21. suit — clothes
  22. swing — in golf
  23. file — a line of people
  24. degree — from a university

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