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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 120 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: file · saw · fine · kid · craft · club · mug · tube

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. file — a tool
  3. fine — all right
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — the underground
  6. file — a line of people
  7. mug — a face
  8. file — a document
  9. kid — child
  10. craft — a skill
  11. mug — a cup
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. kid — to tease
  14. club — for dancing
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. mug — to rob
  17. saw — the tool
  18. fine — high quality
  19. club — for golf
  20. craft — boats
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. tube — a container
  24. saw — the tool

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