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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · game · bass · face · board · date · club · safe

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — the fruit
  5. club — a group
  6. club — for dancing
  7. file — a tool
  8. bass — the fish
  9. face — to confront
  10. game — wild animals
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. board — to get on
  13. face — part of the head
  14. file — a line of people
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. club — for golf
  18. file — a document
  19. face — to point toward
  20. bass — low music
  21. board — a committee
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. game — a match
  24. board — a flat piece

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