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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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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 · club · race · pop · nail · mark · mug · game

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. file — a document
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mug — to rob
  5. pop — soda
  6. race — a contest
  7. club — a group
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. race — humankind
  10. mug — a face
  11. file — a line of people
  12. club — for golf
  13. race — the arms race
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — to visit
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. mark — a grade
  19. club — for dancing
  20. mark — a trace
  21. game — wild animals
  22. game — a match
  23. file — a tool
  24. game — a kind of play

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