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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: deal · row · board · key · degree · mark · chest · chip

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  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. mark — a trace
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. degree — from a university
  6. chip — to eat
  7. degree — temperature
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. key — the most important part
  10. board — to get on
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chest — of your body
  13. board — a committee
  14. key — for a lock
  15. degree — an amount
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — a box
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — to handle
  21. row — a line
  22. key — in music
  23. mark — a grade
  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