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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. chip — to eat
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. bound — certain
  5. rule — a law
  6. stand — to bear
  7. branch — a division
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. bound — obliged
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — hasty
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — for betting
  19. rash — a series
  20. mine — for digging
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rule — government
  24. bound — tied together

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