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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: file · bark · pitch · charge · game · dip · mug · fall

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. charge — electricity
  3. fall — to drop
  4. charge — a price
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. charge — in control
  7. dip — to sink
  8. fall — to drop
  9. mug — to rob
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. mug — a cup
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. game — a match
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. mug — a face
  16. pitch — completely
  17. game — wild animals
  18. bark — to shout
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. file — a tool
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. file — a document
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. fall — the season

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