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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: field · sharp · file · charge · chest · rest · chip · craft

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. field — for sport
  3. craft — boats
  4. file — a line of people
  5. rest — a break
  6. charge — in control
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. chip — for betting
  9. rest — what's left
  10. file — a tool
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. craft — a skill
  13. charge — electricity
  14. file — a document
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chip — to eat
  17. field — a subject
  18. chest — a box
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chest — of your body
  21. sharp — clever
  22. field — farmland
  23. rest — what's left
  24. sharp — exactly

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