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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: file · pitcher · content · chip · bay · chair · stand · march

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chair — a leader
  5. file — a line of people
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. march — the month
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. stand — to bear
  14. content — the amount
  15. content — happy
  16. chip — to eat
  17. march — music
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. file — a tool
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. march — the month
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. stand — on your feet

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