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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: band · foot · coach · pound · craft · file · tube · mouse

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. file — a tool
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. craft — a skill
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. band — a ring
  11. pound — a weight
  12. foot — a measure
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. file — a document
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. band — a music group
  22. file — a line of people
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. tube — a container

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