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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 · current · saw · pass · key · file · rash · court

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. key — the most important part
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. current — of water
  8. key — for a lock
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. current — happening now
  11. court — of law
  12. rash — a series
  13. court — for sport
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. file — a document
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. key — in music
  20. file — a tool
  21. pass — a permit
  22. current — electric
  23. rash — hasty
  24. file — a line of people

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