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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: game · tube · race · row · pit · file · mate · mark

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. mark — a grade
  4. row — to paddle
  5. file — a tool
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. game — wild animals
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mate — to breed
  10. file — a document
  11. pit — a hole
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. race — the arms race
  14. tube — the underground
  15. mate — a partner
  16. row — a line
  17. tube — a container
  18. race — humankind
  19. mark — a trace
  20. pit — in a race
  21. mate — a friend
  22. game — a match
  23. race — a contest
  24. row — a quarrel

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