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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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 · craft · racket · content · last · suit

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. craft — boats
  3. content — the amount
  4. file — a line of people
  5. suit — to fit
  6. last — to go on
  7. suit — clothes
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. last — final
  10. file — a document
  11. file — a tool
  12. suit — in cards
  13. content — happy
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. last — finally
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. craft — a skill

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