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

Word bank: chip · pound · straw · fine · toast · stick · degree · ball

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. degree — an amount
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. chip — to eat
  7. fine — high quality
  8. toast — bread
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a dance
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. degree — temperature
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. degree — from a university
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. chip — for betting

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