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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.

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: content · chair · cue · stick · staff · spell · can · arm

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. chair — a leader
  4. staff — a stick
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. staff — employees
  7. spell — a short time
  8. cue — a signal
  9. can — to be able to
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. staff — employees
  12. spell — letters
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. cue — a hint
  16. can — a tin
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. content — the amount
  19. cue — for pool
  20. content — happy
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. spell — magic
  23. can — a tin
  24. chair — a professorship

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