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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: craft · stock · race · leaves · fall · current · charge · file

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. fall — to drop
  3. charge — in control
  4. current — of water
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. file — a tool
  8. craft — a skill
  9. file — a document
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. charge — electricity
  13. fall — to drop
  14. stock — goods
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — electric
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. race — humankind
  19. craft — boats
  20. file — a line of people
  21. fall — the season
  22. charge — a price
  23. race — a contest
  24. leaves — of a tree

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