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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: court · rest · mate · bank · fan · file · board · swing

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  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. file — a tool
  2. file — a line of people
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bank — of a river
  6. rest — what's left
  7. file — a document
  8. court — for sport
  9. rest — a break
  10. board — to get on
  11. rest — what's left
  12. mate — a partner
  13. swing — to play on
  14. board — a committee
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — of law
  17. swing — in golf
  18. swing — music
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bank — for money
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. bank — for money
  23. mate — a friend
  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