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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: race · season · file · drill · cue · mark · sharp · suit

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. mark — a grade
  3. suit — clothes
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — army training
  6. race — humankind
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. mark — a trace
  10. file — a tool
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. season — of the year
  13. drill — the tool
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. cue — a signal
  16. race — the arms race
  17. cue — for pool
  18. race — a contest
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. file — a line of people
  21. season — in sport
  22. cue — a hint
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — in cards

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