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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 · can · straw · mark · bay · file · board · race

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a tool
  4. court — of law
  5. can — a tin
  6. board — to get on
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. race — humankind
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. mark — a trace
  11. can — a tin
  12. board — a committee
  13. court — of a king
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. can — to be able to
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. file — a document
  20. mark — a grade
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. race — a contest
  24. court — for sport

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