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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 120 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: stand · game · chip · ground · pass · bear · squash · season

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. ground — crushed
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bear — the animal
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. ground — the earth
  9. game — wild animals
  10. ground — a position
  11. season — of the year
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. chip — to eat
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. stand — to bear
  18. chip — for betting
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. squash — the sport
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. season — in sport
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. pass — a permit

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