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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: file · roll · racket · track · bat · cell · mine · safe

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. file — a line of people
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. roll — a cake
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. file — a document
  7. cell — in biology
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. cell — a phone
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. track — a song
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. bat — the animal
  15. roll — a list
  16. track — to keep track
  17. mine — for digging
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. track — a path
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. file — a 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