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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: game · ball · capital · file · stand · hide · deal · craft

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. file — a document
  3. game — wild animals
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. capital — a city
  6. ball — a great time
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. game — a match
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. capital — money
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. craft — boats
  14. stand — to bear
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. ball — a dance
  19. craft — a skill
  20. deal — to handle
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. file — a line of people
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. hide — animal skin

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