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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: march · stand · bank · fall · squash · chair · fine · chip

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  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. chip — in a computer
  2. fine — high quality
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bank — of a river
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — to crush
  8. fine — all right
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bank — for money
  11. chip — for betting
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. chip — to eat
  14. fall — the season
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. chair — a leader
  19. march — the month
  20. fall — to drop
  21. stand — to bear
  22. bank — for money
  23. march — music
  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