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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: file · content · craft · board · rock · wax · game · key

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. file — a tool
  3. craft — boats
  4. file — a line of people
  5. rock — music
  6. board — a committee
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. rock — a stone
  9. key — for a lock
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. wax — to grow
  12. key — the most important part
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. key — in music
  15. craft — a skill
  16. game — wild animals
  17. board — to get on
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — happy
  20. game — a match
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. file — a document

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