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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: sharp · mate · ground · swing · cap · band · file · craft

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. cap — a lid
  3. craft — boats
  4. band — a music group
  5. cap — a hat
  6. mate — to breed
  7. ground — crushed
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — clever
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. swing — to play on
  12. ground — the earth
  13. mate — a partner
  14. swing — in golf
  15. mate — a friend
  16. cap — of ice
  17. band — a ring
  18. file — a line of people
  19. swing — music
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. ground — a position
  22. craft — a skill
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. file — a tool

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