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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: land · fan · calf · stand · chip · race · season · chair

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. season — of the year
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. land — ground
  11. land — to come down
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. race — humankind
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. chair — a leader
  18. race — the arms race
  19. stand — to bear
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. land — a country
  23. season — in sport
  24. race — a contest

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