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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: band · safe · club · kid · dip · pass · pop · file

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. pop — soda
  3. dip — to sink
  4. file — a line of people
  5. pass — a permit
  6. band — a music group
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. pop — music
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. kid — to tease
  11. pop — to visit
  12. club — a group
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. kid — child
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. band — a ring
  21. file — a document
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. file — a tool
  24. club — for dancing

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