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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: face · bowl · stick · rest · chip · deal · degree · suit

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. face — part of the head
  3. suit — clothes
  4. face — to confront
  5. suit — to fit
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — for betting
  10. rest — what's left
  11. degree — from a university
  12. degree — temperature
  13. degree — an amount
  14. face — to point toward
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. suit — in cards
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. rest — what's left
  19. chip — to eat
  20. deal — to handle
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. rest — a break
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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