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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 116 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 · swing · rule · stand · snap · pound · chair · staff

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. swing — in golf
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — for betting
  9. rule — a law
  10. snap — to click
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. swing — music
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. rule — government
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. staff — a stick
  18. staff — employees
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. staff — employees
  22. chair — a leader
  23. swing — to play on
  24. chair — a professorship

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