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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: mug · net · mate · bear · file · race · board · mark

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. mug — a cup
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. net — after costs
  6. mug — a face
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. race — the arms race
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — for catching
  12. mate — to breed
  13. race — humankind
  14. mate — a friend
  15. race — a contest
  16. bear — the animal
  17. mark — a trace
  18. bear — the animal
  19. file — a document
  20. board — to get on
  21. mug — to rob
  22. board — a committee
  23. mate — a partner
  24. file — a line of people

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