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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. file — a document
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. craft — a skill
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. craft — boats
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. mate — to breed
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. band — a ring
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bore — to tire
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. file — a tool
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. band — a music group
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. mate — a friend
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bore — to drill
  23. mate — a partner
  24. pitcher — a jug

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