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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: content · stand · bat · present · rule · chip · cap · last

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a lid
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. content — happy
  8. rule — a law
  9. stand — to bear
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. present — a gift
  12. last — final
  13. present — there
  14. bat — the animal
  15. chip — to eat
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. last — finally
  18. present — the time now
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. rule — government
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. cap — a hat
  23. content — the amount
  24. last — to go on

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