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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. stand — to bear
  4. staff — employees
  5. chip — for betting
  6. firm — decided
  7. firm — steady
  8. pass — a permit
  9. firm — a company
  10. staff — employees
  11. snap — to click
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. staff — a stick
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. squash — the sport
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. squash — to crush
  19. chip — to eat
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. cold — an illness
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. cold — not warm
  24. chip — in 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