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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · mate · mouse · deal · staff · march · press · file

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. staff — a stick
  4. mate — a partner
  5. march — the month
  6. press — to push
  7. mate — to breed
  8. deal — to handle
  9. file — a line of people
  10. file — a document
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mate — a friend
  13. march — music
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. file — a tool
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. press — a publisher
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. staff — employees
  20. march — the month
  21. press — newspapers
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. staff — employees
  24. mouse — for a computer

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