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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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  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. firm — steady
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. degree — temperature
  4. board — to get on
  5. pop — to visit
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. bound — certain
  8. firm — a company
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. chip — to eat
  11. firm — decided
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a dance
  14. degree — an amount
  15. pop — soda
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. bound — obliged
  18. board — a committee
  19. pop — music
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. chip — for betting
  23. bound — tied together
  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