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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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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: chip · tube · pit · march · stand · swing · deal · chair

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. deal — to handle
  4. chip — for betting
  5. tube — the underground
  6. swing — in golf
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. march — the month
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. stand — to bear
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. swing — to play on
  15. march — music
  16. tube — a container
  17. march — the month
  18. pit — a hole
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. swing — music
  23. chair — a leader
  24. pit — in a race

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