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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: march · fine · racket · content · file · craft · charge · arm

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. craft — boats
  4. march — music
  5. craft — a skill
  6. charge — electricity
  7. march — the month
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fine — all right
  10. charge — in control
  11. content — the amount
  12. file — a tool
  13. content — happy
  14. march — the month
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. file — a line of people
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. fine — high quality
  23. charge — a price
  24. content — videos and posts

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