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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. pass — a permit
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. sharp — clever
  6. degree — from a university
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. roll — a list
  9. degree — temperature
  10. roll — a cake
  11. stand — to bear
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. plane — a tool
  14. bat — the animal
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. chip — to eat
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. degree — an amount
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pass — to spend time

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