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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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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. firm — steady
  3. content — happy
  4. firm — a company
  5. game — a match
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. staff — employees
  8. firm — decided
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. scale — size or range
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. staff — employees
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. chip — for betting
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. content — the amount
  18. scale — in music
  19. staff — a stick
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — to eat
  23. stand — to bear
  24. calf — of the leg

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