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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: object · chest · temple · file · track · safe · club · pit

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  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 tool
  2. pit — a hole
  3. chest — a box
  4. object — an aim
  5. pit — in a race
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. club — a group
  8. object — a thing
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. track — to keep track
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. chest — of your body
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. chest — of your body
  15. file — a line of people
  16. club — for dancing
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. track — a song
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. object — to protest
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. club — for golf
  23. track — a path
  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