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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 120 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: deal · chip · craft · bass · lash · degree · board · object

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. degree — temperature
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. board — to get on
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. craft — a skill
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. degree — an amount
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. object — an aim
  11. bass — low music
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. board — a committee
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. chip — to eat
  16. object — to protest
  17. chip — for betting
  18. object — a thing
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. degree — from a university
  21. bass — the fish
  22. craft — boats
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. bass — the instrument

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