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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: track · rash · arm · file · mate · board · sharp · court

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. file — a line of people
  3. mate — a partner
  4. sharp — clever
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. rash — hasty
  7. file — a document
  8. rash — a series
  9. track — to keep track
  10. board — to get on
  11. mate — to breed
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — for sport
  16. mate — a friend
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. track — a song
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. track — a path
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. court — of law
  24. board — a committee

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