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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. chip — for betting
  3. firm — decided
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. drill — army training
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. drill — a practice
  9. board — a committee
  10. mug — to rob
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. stand — to bear
  13. chip — to eat
  14. mug — a face
  15. board — to get on
  16. mug — a cup
  17. firm — steady
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bat — the animal
  21. drill — the tool
  22. stem — to come from
  23. firm — a company
  24. bat — for baseball

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