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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chip — to eat
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. chip — for betting
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — a stone
  9. mug — a cup
  10. degree — an amount
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. pit — in a race
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. fork — in a road
  16. firm — steady
  17. mug — to rob
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. degree — from a university
  20. pit — a hole
  21. firm — decided
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. firm — a company
  24. mug — a face

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