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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. chip — for betting
  8. track — a path
  9. track — a song
  10. stand — to bear
  11. cell — in biology
  12. staff — employees
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. staff — employees
  15. cold — an illness
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. cold — not warm
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. chip — to eat
  20. track — to keep track
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cell — a phone
  23. chair — a leader
  24. staff — a stick

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