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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: roll · coach · saw · staff · key · track · craft · squash

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. key — in music
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. staff — a stick
  5. key — the most important part
  6. roll — a cake
  7. craft — a skill
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. staff — employees
  10. craft — boats
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. track — a path
  14. squash — to crush
  15. staff — employees
  16. saw — the tool
  17. track — to keep track
  18. key — for a lock
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. track — a song
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. squash — the sport
  23. roll — a list
  24. craft — a handicraft

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