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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: bay · chip · ground · vault · stick · degree · pit · net

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. ground — a position
  3. ground — the earth
  4. net — in sport
  5. degree — from a university
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — for betting
  8. pit — in a race
  9. degree — temperature
  10. pit — a hole
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. vault — a safe
  15. net — for catching
  16. net — after costs
  17. ground — crushed
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. degree — an amount

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