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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 120 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: stand · charge · game · kid · safe · file · cue · swing

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. cue — for pool
  3. file — a document
  4. cue — a hint
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. swing — to play on
  7. stand — to bear
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. swing — music
  10. file — a tool
  11. game — a match
  12. charge — in control
  13. file — a line of people
  14. kid — to tease
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. charge — electricity
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. game — wild animals
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. kid — child
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. cue — a signal
  24. charge — a price

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