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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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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: lie · arm · degree · key · chip · pound · rash · ground

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. key — the most important part
  3. ground — crushed
  4. rash — a series
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. degree — an amount
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. degree — temperature
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. chip — to eat
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. key — in music
  15. ground — the earth
  16. chip — for betting
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. key — for a lock
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. rash — hasty
  22. degree — from a university
  23. lie — to recline
  24. pound — a weight

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