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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: chip · row · race · dip · object · arm · stand · stick

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. row — a line
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. race — humankind
  8. object — a thing
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. chip — for betting
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. object — an aim
  13. chip — to eat
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. stand — to bear
  17. dip — to sink
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. race — a contest
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. race — the arms race
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. object — to protest

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