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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 120 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: arm · mouse · chair · charge · board · object · stick · sharp

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. object — an aim
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. board — a committee
  9. charge — electricity
  10. object — to protest
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. chair — a leader
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. board — to get on
  17. sharp — clever
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. charge — a price
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. charge — in control
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — a part of something

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