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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. clip — to cut
  3. degree — an amount
  4. chip — for betting
  5. fork — in a road
  6. suit — in cards
  7. degree — temperature
  8. mark — a trace
  9. rock — a stone
  10. degree — from a university
  11. mark — a grade
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. race — humankind
  16. race — the arms race
  17. clip — for paper
  18. race — a contest
  19. clip — a video
  20. rock — music
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. suit — to fit
  24. chip — to eat

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