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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: season · stand · root · hand · chip · kid · safe · mark

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. kid — child
  3. season — in sport
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. kid — to tease
  6. season — of the year
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stand — to bear
  9. mark — a grade
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. mark — a trace
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. chip — for betting
  14. hand — help
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. root — the cause
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. root — of a plant
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. root — of a word
  23. hand — in cards
  24. season — to add flavour

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