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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: stand · jam · saw · cap · date · hand · object · chip

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. object — an aim
  3. object — to protest
  4. date — the fruit
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. cap — a hat
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. saw — the tool
  12. cap — of ice
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. hand — in cards
  15. hand — help
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. cap — a lid
  20. chip — to eat
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. chip — for betting
  24. object — a thing

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