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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: file · racket · bore · arm · squash · track · court · rest

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. bore — to tire
  4. squash — to crush
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. squash — the sport
  7. file — a document
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a song
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. court — of law
  13. rest — what's left
  14. track — a path
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rest — a break
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. rest — what's left
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. court — for sport
  22. file — a line of people
  23. file — a tool
  24. court — of a king

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