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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: chip · wake · cold · stand · bowl · court · rule · calf

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. cold — an illness
  5. rule — a law
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — a trail
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. court — for sport
  10. cold — not warm
  11. court — of a king
  12. rule — government
  13. court — of law
  14. stand — to bear
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. chip — for betting
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. chip — to eat
  24. calf — of the leg

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