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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.

Make a worksheet

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: chest · file · can · charge · stock · stick · arm · march

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. file — a document
  3. file — a tool
  4. march — the month
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. charge — a price
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. file — a line of people
  9. can — a tin
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. stock — goods
  12. march — the month
  13. chest — a box
  14. chest — of your body
  15. march — music
  16. chest — of your body
  17. can — a tin
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. stock — shares
  20. charge — electricity
  21. can — to be able to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. charge — in control

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