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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: file · saw · stick · court · cap · rock · staff · craft

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. craft — a skill
  3. court — for sport
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. cap — a hat
  7. file — a document
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. cap — of ice
  10. court — of a king
  11. file — a tool
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. craft — boats
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. saw — the tool
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — employees
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — music
  21. saw — the tool
  22. cap — a lid
  23. court — of law
  24. file — a line of people

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