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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: game · squash · deal · roll · file · pitcher · safe · craft

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. game — wild animals
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. roll — a cake
  5. squash — to crush
  6. file — a tool
  7. squash — the sport
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. craft — boats
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. file — a line of people
  13. craft — a skill
  14. deal — to handle
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. roll — a list
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. game — a match
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. safe — out of danger

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