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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: bat · ruler · stand · chip · arm · spell · present · season

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. present — the time now
  3. spell — letters
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. bat — the animal
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. season — in sport
  10. season — of the year
  11. stand — to bear
  12. present — a gift
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. spell — magic
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. spell — a short time
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. present — there
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. chip — for betting

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