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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
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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: can · racket · rule · file · ball · sharp · mine · kid

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. kid — child
  3. ball — a great time
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. can — a tin
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. ball — a dance
  10. can — a tin
  11. file — a tool
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — a law
  18. mine — for digging
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. can — to be able to
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. kid — to tease
  23. file — a line of people
  24. sharp — clever

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