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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: bat · fine · jam · last · bound · fan · file · charge

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. charge — a price
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. file — a document
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. last — final
  7. bound — obliged
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fine — all right
  11. bound — certain
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. charge — electricity
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bat — the animal
  17. last — finally
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. charge — in control
  21. last — to go on
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. bound — tied together
  24. file — a tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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