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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: pass · rash · court · swing · file · cabinet · row · kick

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. kick — in football
  3. file — a line of people
  4. swing — to play on
  5. rash — hasty
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. court — of law
  8. file — a document
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. file — a tool
  11. row — a line
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rash — a series
  14. swing — in golf
  15. swing — music
  16. court — for sport
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. pass — a permit
  23. court — of a king
  24. pass — to succeed

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