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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
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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: kick · coach · bowl · saw · court · staff · bay · file

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. kick — in football
  5. file — a tool
  6. court — of law
  7. staff — a stick
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. saw — the tool
  10. court — of a king
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. court — for sport
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. file — a document
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. file — a line of people
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. staff — employees
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. staff — employees
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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