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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 120 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: squash · file · safe · bulb · chip · tube · land · fine

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. fine — all right
  3. tube — the underground
  4. bulb — for light
  5. tube — a container
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. land — ground
  8. bulb — for light
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. squash — the sport
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. chip — to eat
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. fine — high quality
  17. file — a line of people
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. land — to come down
  20. file — a tool
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. squash — to crush
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. land — a country

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