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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: firm · date · court · face · coach · craft · file · saw

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. face — part of the head
  5. date — the fruit
  6. firm — steady
  7. saw — the tool
  8. court — of a king
  9. saw — the tool
  10. file — a document
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. file — a tool
  14. face — to point toward
  15. court — for sport
  16. firm — decided
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. firm — a company
  19. court — of law
  20. face — to confront
  21. craft — a skill
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. craft — boats
  24. craft — a handicraft

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