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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
468
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: tube · file · charge · row · fan · date · safe · game

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. charge — a price
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. file — a line of people
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — the fruit
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. file — a tool
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. row — to paddle
  18. charge — electricity
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. game — wild animals
  21. charge — in control
  22. file — a document
  23. row — a line
  24. tube — the underground

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