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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: fall · deal · clip · net · stand · chip

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. clip — to cut
  3. chip — for betting
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. deal — to handle
  7. net — after costs
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. net — for catching
  11. chip — to eat
  12. stand — to bear
  13. clip — a video
  14. fall — to drop
  15. clip — for paper
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. fall — the season
  18. fall — to drop

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