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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: nail · stand · shower · chip · bat · arm · roll · content

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. chip — to eat
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. content — the amount
  12. content — happy
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. roll — a cake
  15. shower — rain
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. roll — a list
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. shower — to wash
  21. stand — to bear
  22. bat — the animal
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. arm — part of the body

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