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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: craft · roll · rest · object · content · chip · bat · stand

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. stand — to bear
  3. roll — a cake
  4. chip — for betting
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. object — to protest
  7. craft — a skill
  8. chip — to eat
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — a thing
  11. craft — boats
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. rest — what's left
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. content — the amount
  17. roll — a list
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bat — the animal
  20. rest — a break
  21. content — happy
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. bat — for baseball

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