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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.

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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.

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: board · file · kid · rule · can · firm · mark · court

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. kid — to tease
  3. can — a tin
  4. firm — decided
  5. mark — a grade
  6. file — a tool
  7. board — to get on
  8. rule — government
  9. mark — a trace
  10. court — of law
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. can — to be able to
  13. file — a document
  14. firm — steady
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. file — a line of people
  18. can — a tin
  19. rule — a law
  20. firm — a company
  21. board — a committee
  22. court — of a king
  23. court — for sport
  24. board — a flat piece

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