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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: bowl · craft · spell · coach · pop · court · file · fan

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. spell — magic
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. court — of a king
  5. court — for sport
  6. file — a tool
  7. pop — music
  8. pop — soda
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. craft — boats
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. court — of law
  13. file — a document
  14. pop — to visit
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. file — a line of people
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. spell — a short time
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. spell — letters
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. bowl — a dish

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