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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 116 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
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: file · mine · degree · fan · chair · mouse · hand · charge

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. file — a document
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. file — a line of people
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. charge — electricity
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. charge — a price
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. degree — temperature
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. chair — a leader
  14. file — a tool
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. mine — for digging
  18. degree — from a university
  19. charge — in control
  20. hand — in cards
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. hand — help
  24. mouse — for a computer

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