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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · chip · charge · fine · bass · object · row · chest

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. fine — all right
  3. object — a thing
  4. fine — high quality
  5. chest — of your body
  6. row — a line
  7. bass — low music
  8. object — to protest
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. object — an aim
  11. chip — to eat
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. file — a document
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. bass — the fish
  16. row — to paddle
  17. charge — electricity
  18. file — a tool
  19. charge — a price
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chest — a box
  22. file — a line of people
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. chest — of your body

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