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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 · roll · cabinet · object · sharp · chip · safe · file

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. roll — a cake
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. file — a tool
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — to protest
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. roll — a list
  15. chip — to eat
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. chip — for betting
  19. game — a match
  20. object — an aim
  21. sharp — clever
  22. game — wild animals
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. file — a document

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