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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: object · season · drill · chip · track · stand · bear · arm

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. drill — the tool
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. track — a path
  5. season — in sport
  6. season — of the year
  7. chip — to eat
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — a thing
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. chip — for betting
  13. object — an aim
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. track — to keep track
  16. bear — the animal
  17. track — a song
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. drill — a practice
  22. bear — the animal
  23. drill — army training
  24. arm — part of the body

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