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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: content · file · craft · charge · stand · race · fan · swing

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. craft — a skill
  3. swing — to play on
  4. race — humankind
  5. file — a tool
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. charge — electricity
  8. swing — music
  9. stand — to bear
  10. file — a line of people
  11. content — the amount
  12. file — a document
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. charge — a price
  15. race — the arms race
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. race — a contest
  18. swing — in golf
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. content — happy
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. charge — in control

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