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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: firm · swing · fall · rule · chip · drill

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. chip — for betting
  3. drill — army training
  4. chip — to eat
  5. rule — government
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. firm — a company
  8. drill — the tool
  9. swing — music
  10. fall — to drop
  11. drill — a practice
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. fall — the season
  14. fall — to drop
  15. rule — a law
  16. firm — decided
  17. swing — in golf
  18. swing — to play on

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