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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: foot · chip · current · object · toast · hand · stand · clip

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. hand — in cards
  3. clip — to cut
  4. hand — help
  5. chip — for betting
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. foot — a measure
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. object — a thing
  10. chip — to eat
  11. current — of water
  12. object — to protest
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. current — electric
  15. current — happening now
  16. toast — bread
  17. clip — for paper
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. stand — to bear
  22. clip — a video
  23. object — an aim
  24. hand — part of the body

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