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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: degree · chair · bark · foot · cabinet · rush · chip · nail

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rush — hurry
  4. degree — temperature
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. chip — to eat
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — to shout
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. chip — for betting
  14. degree — from a university
  15. foot — a measure
  16. chair — a leader
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. degree — an amount
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. chair — a professorship

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