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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. chip — for betting
  3. ground — the earth
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. ground — a position
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. object — to protest
  8. net — for catching
  9. chip — to eat
  10. net — in sport
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. ground — crushed
  14. object — an aim
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. degree — an amount
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. degree — from a university
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. net — after costs
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. object — a thing
  23. degree — temperature
  24. toast — bread

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