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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: saw · capital · key · craft · game · jam · fork · file

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a tool
  3. craft — boats
  4. capital — a city
  5. saw — the tool
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. saw — the tool
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fork — in a road
  10. game — a match
  11. game — wild animals
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. key — the most important part
  14. file — a line of people
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. key — for a lock
  18. capital — money
  19. key — in music
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. craft — a skill

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