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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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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: staff · stand · land · cold · fine · chip · nail · can

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. can — a tin
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. cold — an illness
  5. can — a tin
  6. land — a country
  7. chip — for betting
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — all right
  12. can — to be able to
  13. staff — employees
  14. chip — to eat
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. cold — not warm
  18. staff — a stick
  19. stand — to bear
  20. land — to come down
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. staff — employees
  23. land — ground
  24. cold — the Cold War

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