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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: fork · fall · chip · lean · degree · object · pitch · foot

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. fork — in a road
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — to eat
  5. object — to protest
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. foot — a measure
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. fall — the season
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. lean — to bend
  12. object — a thing
  13. degree — an amount
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — completely
  17. chip — for betting
  18. degree — temperature
  19. lean — thin
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fall — to drop
  24. degree — from a university

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