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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: court · craft · spell · mouse · pitch · file · lash · band

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. file — a document
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. craft — boats
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. band — a music group
  10. file — a line of people
  11. band — a ring
  12. file — a tool
  13. craft — a skill
  14. spell — a short time
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. spell — magic
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. pitch — completely
  21. court — for sport
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. court — of law
  24. court — of a king

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