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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: track · file · craft · staff · can · race · court · last

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. race — a contest
  3. last — to go on
  4. last — final
  5. court — of law
  6. track — a song
  7. file — a line of people
  8. court — for sport
  9. track — a path
  10. last — finally
  11. craft — boats
  12. race — the arms race
  13. can — to be able to
  14. staff — a stick
  15. file — a tool
  16. race — humankind
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. track — to keep track
  19. staff — employees
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. craft — a skill
  23. court — of a king
  24. staff — employees

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