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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 116 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: file · dip · key · race · fan · pit · mark · clip

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. mark — a grade
  4. key — for a lock
  5. clip — to cut
  6. pit — a hole
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. dip — to sink
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. mark — a trace
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. file — a document
  13. key — in music
  14. pit — in a race
  15. key — the most important part
  16. file — a tool
  17. clip — for paper
  18. clip — a video
  19. race — the arms race
  20. file — a line of people
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. race — humankind
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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