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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
468
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: fan · bay · coach · craft · file · fall · march · court

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. march — the month
  3. court — of law
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. march — the month
  6. file — a tool
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. march — music
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. court — for sport
  12. fall — the season
  13. fall — to drop
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. fall — to drop
  17. court — of a king
  18. craft — a skill
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. file — a document
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. file — a line of people
  23. craft — boats
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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