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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: bound · calf · charge · chip · file · field · mug · fine

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. fine — high quality
  3. field — for sport
  4. bound — tied together
  5. mug — a cup
  6. chip — to eat
  7. fine — all right
  8. mug — a face
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. charge — in control
  11. file — a tool
  12. chip — for betting
  13. mug — to rob
  14. file — a line of people
  15. field — a subject
  16. field — farmland
  17. bound — obliged
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. charge — a price
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. file — a document
  22. charge — electricity
  23. bound — certain
  24. calf — a young animal

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