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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 116 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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. key — the most important part
  3. present — a gift
  4. present — the time now
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. mark — a grade
  8. kick — in football
  9. mark — a trace
  10. key — for a lock
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. degree — an amount
  15. squash — to crush
  16. degree — temperature
  17. fine — all right
  18. chip — for betting
  19. degree — from a university
  20. squash — the sport
  21. key — in music
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. fine — high quality
  24. present — there

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