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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. rest — what's left
  3. object — to protest
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. object — an aim
  6. craft — a skill
  7. rest — a break
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. can — to be able to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. object — a thing
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. craft — boats
  15. degree — temperature
  16. can — a tin
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — to eat
  19. can — a tin
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. rest — what's left
  22. degree — an amount
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. degree — from a university

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