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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 120 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mug — a cup
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. ground — crushed
  9. rest — a break
  10. degree — an amount
  11. mug — to rob
  12. rest — what's left
  13. mark — a grade
  14. cell — a phone
  15. ground — a position
  16. mug — a face
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. ground — the earth
  20. chip — for betting
  21. degree — from a university
  22. chip — to eat
  23. degree — temperature
  24. pound — a weight

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