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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: tube · cabinet · chip · date · roll · file · charge · ruler

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. roll — a list
  3. charge — a price
  4. file — a document
  5. tube — a container
  6. roll — a cake
  7. charge — in control
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. file — a line of people
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. charge — electricity
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — the underground
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. date — the fruit
  17. file — a tool
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. chip — for betting
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. chip — to eat

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