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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: stand · cap · club · chip · fall · bass · deal · face

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — for betting
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. bass — low music
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. fall — the season
  10. bass — the fish
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. deal — to handle
  13. stand — to bear
  14. face — to confront
  15. cap — a lid
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. club — a group
  18. club — for golf
  19. face — to point toward
  20. cap — of ice
  21. face — part of the head
  22. cap — a hat
  23. club — for dancing
  24. deal — a big deal

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