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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: racket · jam · field · clip · can · rest · suit · file

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. suit — to fit
  5. clip — a video
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. clip — to cut
  8. suit — clothes
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. rest — what's left
  12. can — to be able to
  13. file — a document
  14. file — a tool
  15. can — a tin
  16. field — for sport
  17. rest — what's left
  18. suit — in cards
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. field — a subject
  21. can — a tin
  22. field — farmland
  23. rest — a break
  24. file — a line of people

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