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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. degree — an amount
  5. foot — a measure
  6. firm — decided
  7. cap — of ice
  8. lie — to recline
  9. chip — to eat
  10. firm — a company
  11. firm — steady
  12. cap — a lid
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. band — a ring
  15. degree — from a university
  16. kid — child
  17. band — a music group
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. degree — temperature
  21. kid — to tease
  22. cap — a hat
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. chip — for betting

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