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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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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: lie · board · march · stand · file · chip · date · ruler

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. date — the fruit
  3. chip — for betting
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. file — a line of people
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. march — music
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. lie — to recline
  12. file — a tool
  13. march — the month
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. board — a committee
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. chip — to eat
  22. board — to get on
  23. file — a document
  24. march — the month

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