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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: dip · pop · chip · stand · land · date · wave · chair

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. land — to come down
  4. pop — music
  5. land — ground
  6. date — the fruit
  7. land — a country
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chair — a leader
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. pop — soda
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. pop — to visit
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. stand — to bear
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. chip — for betting
  24. dip — to dunk

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