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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: jam · board · fall · date · charge · net · chair · file

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — after costs
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. charge — a price
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. charge — in control
  12. file — a tool
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — a committee
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. fall — to drop
  17. file — a line of people
  18. chair — a leader
  19. fall — to drop
  20. board — to get on
  21. file — a document
  22. fall — the season
  23. charge — electricity
  24. net — in sport

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