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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: cold · stand · rule · ground · firm · ruler · swing · chip

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. ground — crushed
  3. cold — not warm
  4. ground — the earth
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. rule — a law
  7. firm — steady
  8. swing — to play on
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. chip — for betting
  16. ground — a position
  17. rule — government
  18. cold — an illness
  19. firm — decided
  20. swing — in golf
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. firm — a company
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. swing — music

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