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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
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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: row · can · racket · sharp · track · patient · wind · file

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. file — a line of people
  3. track — to keep track
  4. file — a document
  5. file — a tool
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. wind — moving air
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. row — a line
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. wind — moving air
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. track — a path
  16. can — to be able to
  17. can — a tin
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. can — a tin
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. row — to paddle
  23. track — a song
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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