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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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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: race · file · charge · craft · stand · calf · chair · toast

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. race — a contest
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. charge — in control
  6. toast — bread
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. craft — a skill
  15. file — a document
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. craft — boats
  18. stand — to bear
  19. race — the arms race
  20. charge — electricity
  21. file — a line of people
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. file — a tool
  24. race — humankind

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