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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: fine · bark · file · roll · date · toast · charge · fan

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. roll — a list
  3. fine — high quality
  4. toast — bread
  5. file — a document
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. charge — electricity
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. date — the fruit
  10. fine — all right
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. charge — a price
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. file — a tool
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. roll — a cake
  20. charge — in control
  21. bark — to shout
  22. file — a line of people
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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