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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 · trunk · present · race · file · toast · suit · charge

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. race — a contest
  3. suit — in cards
  4. suit — clothes
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. field — for sport
  7. charge — a price
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. file — a line of people
  10. present — a gift
  11. suit — to fit
  12. field — farmland
  13. charge — electricity
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. race — the arms race
  16. file — a document
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. toast — bread
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. race — humankind
  21. file — a tool
  22. field — a subject
  23. present — the time now
  24. present — there

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