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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. degree — from a university
  3. cue — a hint
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — clever
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. firm — a company
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. rest — what's left
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chip — for betting
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. degree — temperature
  15. degree — an amount
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — for pool
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. firm — decided
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — a break
  23. firm — steady
  24. racket — for tennis

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