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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: key · mug · mark · date · game · coach · saw · file

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. mug — a face
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. mug — a cup
  6. key — in music
  7. key — for a lock
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. mark — a trace
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. game — wild animals
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. key — the most important part
  19. file — a line of people
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. date — the fruit
  22. mark — a grade
  23. game — a match
  24. file — a document

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