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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: degree · chip · board · sharp · racket · deal · rash · saw

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. degree — an amount
  3. saw — the tool
  4. rash — a series
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — to get on
  10. degree — from a university
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. rash — hasty
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. degree — temperature
  16. chip — for betting
  17. board — a committee
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. chip — to eat
  22. deal — to handle
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. chip — in a computer

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