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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: swing · game · file · fan · club · wave · safe · cue

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. swing — to play on
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. swing — in golf
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. cue — a hint
  9. game — a match
  10. file — a line of people
  11. club — for dancing
  12. cue — for pool
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. file — a tool
  15. game — wild animals
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. swing — music
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. club — a group
  21. cue — a signal
  22. club — for golf
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. wave — of the sea

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