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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: file · bulb · club · kid · ruler · field · craft · charge

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. club — a group
  4. field — for sport
  5. craft — boats
  6. charge — electricity
  7. field — a subject
  8. charge — a price
  9. file — a tool
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. field — farmland
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. file — a line of people
  15. kid — to tease
  16. kid — child
  17. craft — a skill
  18. club — for golf
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. club — for dancing
  22. bulb — for light
  23. file — a document
  24. bulb — for light

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