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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: mug · stick · bass · march · rest · charge · file · craft

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. file — a document
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. march — the month
  5. bass — low music
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mug — to rob
  8. craft — boats
  9. charge — a price
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. charge — in control
  12. mug — a face
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. craft — a skill
  17. march — music
  18. bass — the fish
  19. march — the month
  20. charge — electricity
  21. file — a line of people
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. file — a tool
  24. mug — a cup

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