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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: ruler · stand · toast · can · chip · plane · march · cell

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. toast — bread
  4. chip — for betting
  5. cell — in biology
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. march — the month
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. chip — to eat
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. stand — to bear
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. can — to be able to
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. cell — a phone
  17. march — the month
  18. plane — a tool
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. march — music
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. can — a tin

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