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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 120 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 · charge · file · bark · bay · march · mouse · chair

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. march — the month
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. craft — boats
  5. charge — in control
  6. craft — a skill
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. file — a line of people
  9. march — the month
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. march — music
  14. charge — a price
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. file — a document
  21. charge — electricity
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. chair — a leader
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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