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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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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 · tear · content · net · fork · tube · file · pass

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. file — a line of people
  3. content — the amount
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tube — a container
  8. pass — a permit
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. file — a document
  11. tube — the underground
  12. net — in sport
  13. tear — to rip
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — after costs
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. content — happy

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