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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 116 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: game · dip · squash · chip · mark · cabinet · fan · stand

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. dip — to sink
  3. game — a match
  4. mark — a grade
  5. stand — to bear
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. squash — the sport
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. squash — to crush
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. game — wild animals
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mark — a trace
  19. chip — for betting
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. chip — to eat
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. dip — to dunk

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