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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 120 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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. tear — from crying
  3. object — a thing
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. stand — to bear
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. game — a match
  8. tear — to rip
  9. cap — a lid
  10. chip — for betting
  11. pass — a permit
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. object — to protest
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. cap — of ice
  16. tear — from crying
  17. game — wild animals
  18. object — an aim
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. cap — a hat
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — the animal

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