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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: file · key · cue · content · court · safe · board · wave

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  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. file — a document
  2. board — to get on
  3. cue — for pool
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. court — for sport
  6. content — happy
  7. content — the amount
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. key — for a lock
  10. court — of a king
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. cue — a hint
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. board — a committee
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. key — in music
  19. court — of law
  20. file — a line of people
  21. key — the most important part
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. cue — a signal
  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