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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. ground — crushed
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. degree — from a university
  5. ground — a position
  6. mark — a grade
  7. face — to confront
  8. deal — to handle
  9. face — to point toward
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. chip — to eat
  14. degree — temperature
  15. fine — all right
  16. fine — high quality
  17. mark — a trace
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. face — part of the head
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. chip — for betting
  23. degree — an amount
  24. deal — an agreement

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