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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: roll · game · file · rock · capital · safe · mouse · charge

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  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. roll — a cake
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. file — a document
  5. rock — a stone
  6. capital — money
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. capital — a city
  10. charge — in control
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. game — wild animals
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. charge — electricity
  18. game — a match
  19. roll — a list
  20. file — a line of people
  21. charge — a price
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. rock — music
  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