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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: coach · charge · firm · cell · craft · file · court · mouse

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. file — a line of people
  3. craft — a skill
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. charge — a price
  7. firm — steady
  8. file — a document
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. firm — a company
  11. court — of law
  12. firm — decided
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. court — for sport
  15. court — of a king
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. charge — electricity
  18. cell — a phone
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. charge — in control
  21. cell — in biology
  22. craft — boats
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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