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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: safe · cue · craft · roll · pitch · chip · file · mine

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. chip — for betting
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. cue — a signal
  5. craft — boats
  6. chip — to eat
  7. pitch — completely
  8. craft — a skill
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. cue — for pool
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. file — a tool
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. roll — a cake
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. mine — for digging
  21. cue — a hint
  22. file — a document
  23. file — a line of people
  24. roll — a list

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