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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: chip · content · land · march · firm · object · stand · wake

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. wake — a trail
  3. content — the amount
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. land — ground
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. land — a country
  9. stand — to bear
  10. object — an aim
  11. march — music
  12. object — to protest
  13. march — the month
  14. chip — to eat
  15. object — a thing
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. land — to come down
  18. firm — decided
  19. firm — a company
  20. chip — for betting
  21. firm — steady
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. march — the month
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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