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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
468
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 · cue · game · march · saw · toast · chip · pitcher

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. game — wild animals
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. cue — for pool
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. cue — a hint
  11. stand — to bear
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. chip — for betting
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. saw — the tool
  16. march — the month
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. game — a match
  19. march — music
  20. saw — the tool
  21. toast — bread
  22. cue — a signal
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. march — the month

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