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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: ground · last · chip · club · stand · cap · hide · mouse

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. last — final
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. ground — crushed
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a hat
  9. club — a group
  10. last — finally
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. club — for golf
  13. club — for dancing
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ground — a position
  16. chip — for betting
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. stand — to bear
  20. chip — to eat
  21. last — to go on
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — to keep secret

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