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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: file · sharp · racket · lie · court · foot · can · leaves

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. foot — a measure
  4. file — a line of people
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. lie — to recline
  9. court — for sport
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. court — of a king
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. can — a tin
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. file — a tool
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. sharp — clever
  22. court — of law
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. file — a document

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