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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: racket · saw · tube · craft · coach · bark · file · deal

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. file — a tool
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. file — a line of people
  8. deal — to handle
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. saw — the tool
  12. tube — a container
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. saw — the tool
  17. file — a document
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bark — to shout
  21. craft — a skill
  22. craft — boats
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — a trainer

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