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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: bear · stand · chip · rest · mug · pitcher · club · game

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. chip — for betting
  8. club — a group
  9. bear — the animal
  10. game — wild animals
  11. chip — to eat
  12. mug — a face
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bear — the animal
  15. stand — to bear
  16. club — for dancing
  17. mug — to rob
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. rest — a break
  22. club — for golf
  23. game — a match
  24. stand — for spectators

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