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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. degree — from a university
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. net — in sport
  5. can — a tin
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — music
  8. degree — temperature
  9. rock — a stone
  10. can — to be able to
  11. net — after costs
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. chip — to eat
  15. degree — an amount
  16. pound — a weight
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. can — a tin
  21. lean — thin
  22. net — for catching
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. lean — to bend

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