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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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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: mate · firm · charge · chip · degree · stand · bat · tear

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. charge — in control
  3. tear — to rip
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. degree — an amount
  6. degree — from a university
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bat — the animal
  10. stand — to bear
  11. charge — a price
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. charge — electricity
  14. mate — a friend
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. tear — from crying
  17. chip — for betting
  18. mate — a partner
  19. tear — from crying
  20. mate — to breed
  21. firm — steady
  22. degree — temperature
  23. firm — a company
  24. firm — decided

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