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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: band · charge · fine · game · file · lie · dip · scale

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. band — a music group
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. charge — in control
  5. scale — size or range
  6. band — a ring
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. dip — to sink
  9. game — a match
  10. file — a line of people
  11. game — wild animals
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. charge — a price
  16. file — a tool
  17. charge — electricity
  18. scale — in music
  19. fine — high quality
  20. lie — to recline
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. fine — all right
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. fine — a penalty

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