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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: content · stand · chip · deal · pass · squash · chest · roll

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. chest — of your body
  4. content — the amount
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. chip — to eat
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. squash — to crush
  11. deal — to handle
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. pass — a permit
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chest — a box
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. squash — the sport
  19. content — happy
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. stand — to bear
  22. chest — of your body
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. roll — a list

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