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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: coach · jam · file · race · sharp · bear · can · craft

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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. file — a tool
  4. sharp — clever
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bear — the animal
  8. can — a tin
  9. bear — the animal
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. craft — boats
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. race — the arms race
  18. file — a document
  19. craft — a skill
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. can — to be able to
  22. race — a contest
  23. file — a line of people
  24. race — humankind

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