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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 116 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: key · bound · craft · file · mark · lean · club · coach

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. file — a tool
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. bound — certain
  6. mark — a grade
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. craft — boats
  9. lean — thin
  10. key — the most important part
  11. bound — tied together
  12. mark — a trace
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. file — a document
  16. club — for dancing
  17. key — in music
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. file — a line of people
  20. lean — to bend
  21. key — for a lock
  22. club — a group
  23. club — for golf
  24. bound — obliged

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