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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: fall · court · cap · key · file · drill · rash · deal

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a tool
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. deal — to handle
  5. court — for sport
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. cap — of ice
  8. rash — a series
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. rash — hasty
  11. key — for a lock
  12. cap — a lid
  13. drill — the tool
  14. court — of a king
  15. key — the most important part
  16. fall — the season
  17. key — in music
  18. cap — a hat
  19. file — a line of people
  20. drill — army training
  21. drill — a practice
  22. fall — to drop
  23. court — of law
  24. fall — to drop

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