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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. degree — an amount
  3. chip — to eat
  4. fall — the season
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. degree — temperature
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. firm — a company
  11. firm — steady
  12. fall — to drop
  13. squash — the sport
  14. fall — to drop
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. degree — from a university
  17. mark — a grade
  18. bark — to shout
  19. firm — decided
  20. squash — to crush
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. mark — a trace

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