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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · court · craft · arm · content · pop · leaves · coach

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. file — a line of people
  8. file — a tool
  9. pop — soda
  10. court — for sport
  11. file — a document
  12. content — the amount
  13. craft — boats
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. court — of a king
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. content — happy
  18. court — of law
  19. pop — to visit
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. pop — music
  24. coach — a trainer

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