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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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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: court · mark · racket · track · board · sharp · file · patient

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. file — a tool
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. file — a line of people
  5. file — a document
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. court — of law
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. sharp — clever
  15. track — a song
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. board — to get on
  18. mark — a trace
  19. track — to keep track
  20. court — for sport
  21. board — a committee
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. court — of a king
  24. track — a path

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