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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 116 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 · rest · pit · perch · chip · degree · kick · field

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  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. rest — what's left
  2. chip — for betting
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. pit — in a race
  5. field — a subject
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. pit — a hole
  8. chip — to eat
  9. perch — the fish
  10. field — for sport
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. field — farmland
  13. rest — what's left
  14. kick — in football
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. degree — temperature
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. deal — to handle
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. degree — an amount
  23. rest — a break
  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