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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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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: charge · deal · chip · bark · fall · foot · file · last

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. charge — a price
  3. charge — in control
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. chip — to eat
  6. foot — a measure
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. bark — to shout
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. deal — to handle
  12. chip — for betting
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. last — finally
  15. last — to go on
  16. file — a tool
  17. charge — electricity
  18. fall — to drop
  19. last — final
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — the season
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. file — a line of people
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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