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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: safe · pop · file · club · game · drill · arm · wake

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. club — a group
  4. drill — army training
  5. club — for dancing
  6. drill — a practice
  7. pop — music
  8. file — a document
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. file — a line of people
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. wake — a trail
  14. game — wild animals
  15. pop — soda
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. club — for golf
  18. file — a tool
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. pop — to visit
  22. game — a match
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. drill — the 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