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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: mate · racket · stand · file · safe · rule · court · race

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. court — of a king
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. race — a contest
  5. race — the arms race
  6. file — a line of people
  7. mate — a friend
  8. stand — to bear
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rule — government
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. rule — a law
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. mate — a partner
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. race — humankind
  18. file — a document
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. court — of law
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. mate — to breed
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. court — for sport

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