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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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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: net · firm · chip · march · tube · degree · court · key

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  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. chip — in a computer
  2. march — the month
  3. chip — for betting
  4. court — of law
  5. key — the most important part
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. net — after costs
  8. tube — a container
  9. firm — decided
  10. firm — steady
  11. degree — temperature
  12. court — for sport
  13. court — of a king
  14. march — music
  15. net — for catching
  16. tube — the underground
  17. firm — a company
  18. key — for a lock
  19. chip — to eat
  20. net — in sport
  21. degree — an amount
  22. key — in music
  23. march — the month
  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