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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · arm · content · chair · spell · game · charge · stick

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a line of people
  3. spell — letters
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. game — wild animals
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. spell — magic
  9. charge — electricity
  10. content — happy
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. charge — in control
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. chair — a leader
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. file — a tool
  18. charge — a price
  19. content — the amount
  20. spell — a short time
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. game — a match
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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