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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. chip — for betting
  6. wind — moving air
  7. deal — to handle
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. rule — government
  10. stand — to bear
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. kick — in football
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. wind — moving air
  20. chip — to eat
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. rule — a law
  24. foot — a measure

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