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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. 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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. safe — out of danger
  5. pass — a permit
  6. bank — for money
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. bank — of a river
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. ground — the earth
  13. mark — a grade
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. net — for catching
  16. mark — a trace
  17. ground — a position
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. ground — crushed
  20. degree — from a university
  21. net — in sport
  22. net — after costs
  23. degree — temperature
  24. bank — for money

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