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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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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: safe · fine · bowl · stick · row · ruler · chair · file

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. file — a document
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. chair — a leader
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. fine — all right
  11. fine — high quality
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. row — to paddle
  17. file — a tool
  18. file — a line of people
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. row — a line
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. chair — a professorship

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