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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: content · wound · pitcher · stand · chip · deal · hand · pass

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  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. deal — a big deal
  2. hand — in cards
  3. content — the amount
  4. hand — help
  5. deal — to handle
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — to bear
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. wound — an injury
  12. content — happy
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. wound — an injury
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. pass — a permit
  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