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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: craft · rush · bowl · file · coach · board · pitcher · lie

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a skill
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. file — a document
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. rush — hurry
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. board — to get on
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. file — a line of people
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. file — a tool
  24. board — a committee

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