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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. mark — a grade
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. degree — from a university
  7. fork — in a road
  8. chip — for betting
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. chest — of your body
  11. degree — an amount
  12. mark — a trace
  13. charge — electricity
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. chest — of your body
  16. charge — a price
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. degree — temperature
  20. chest — a box
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. charge — in control
  24. fork — to eat with

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