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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 120 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: march · stand · mine · club · lean · hand · track · chip

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. track — a path
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. march — music
  5. chip — for betting
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. mine — for digging
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. march — the month
  10. club — a group
  11. track — a song
  12. hand — in cards
  13. club — for dancing
  14. hand — help
  15. lean — thin
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. stand — to bear
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. march — the month
  21. chip — to eat
  22. track — to keep track
  23. club — for golf
  24. lean — to bend

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