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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. firm — a company
  3. file — a tool
  4. rest — what's left
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. degree — temperature
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. firm — decided
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. press — newspapers
  12. file — a document
  13. roll — a cake
  14. press — to push
  15. roll — a list
  16. rest — a break
  17. file — a line of people
  18. degree — from a university
  19. degree — an amount
  20. rest — what's left
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. press — a publisher
  23. chip — to eat
  24. firm — steady

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