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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 · spring · stand · object · fall · bay · date · pound

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. spring — of water
  4. fall — the season
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. pound — a weight
  10. fall — to drop
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. object — a thing
  14. object — an aim
  15. chip — to eat
  16. fall — to drop
  17. spring — the season
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. spring — a coil
  20. stand — to bear
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. date — the fruit
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. object — to protest

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