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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 · swing · charge · content · bear · field · track · lash

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. swing — music
  3. field — farmland
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. bear — the animal
  6. track — a song
  7. charge — electricity
  8. craft — a skill
  9. swing — to play on
  10. content — happy
  11. field — for sport
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. track — a path
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. swing — in golf
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. charge — in control
  19. bear — the animal
  20. content — the amount
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. craft — boats
  23. track — to keep track
  24. charge — a price

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