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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.

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: clip · field · track · march · charge · game · file · fine

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. game — a match
  3. march — music
  4. file — a document
  5. charge — in control
  6. track — a path
  7. track — a song
  8. field — farmland
  9. track — to keep track
  10. clip — a video
  11. file — a tool
  12. field — a subject
  13. game — wild animals
  14. march — the month
  15. march — the month
  16. field — for sport
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. clip — for paper
  20. charge — electricity
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — all right
  23. clip — to cut
  24. charge — a price

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