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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 124 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: file · jam · bay · game · coach · drill · fine · can

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. can — a tin
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fine — high quality
  8. file — a document
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. file — a line of people
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. drill — army training
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. file — a tool
  16. drill — a practice
  17. game — wild animals
  18. can — to be able to
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. drill — the tool
  22. game — a match
  23. can — a tin
  24. fine — all right

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