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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: snap · tear · racket · file · mark · stand · ball · leaves

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. mark — a grade
  4. stand — to bear
  5. ball — a great time
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. tear — to rip
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. file — a tool
  11. mark — a trace
  12. tear — from crying
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. tear — from crying
  19. file — a line of people
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. ball — a dance
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. snap — to click

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