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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. pass — a permit
  3. track — to keep track
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. degree — temperature
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — for betting
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. chair — a leader
  12. board — to get on
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. board — a committee
  15. track — a path
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. cold — not warm
  18. degree — from a university
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. degree — an amount
  21. cold — an illness
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. track — a song
  24. pass — to succeed

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