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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.

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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: racket · file · tube · kick · rule · mark · dip · fan

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. rule — a law
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. dip — to sink
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. kick — in football
  12. tube — a container
  13. file — a line of people
  14. tube — the underground
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. mark — a grade
  18. rule — government
  19. file — a document
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. file — a tool
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. tube — in a tire

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