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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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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. degree — an amount
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. craft — boats
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pit — a hole
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. pit — in a race
  12. degree — temperature
  13. craft — a skill
  14. degree — from a university
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. key — in music
  17. key — for a lock
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. key — the most important part
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chip — to eat

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