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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: racket · mine · chip · degree · face · suit · toast · rush

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. chip — for betting
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. degree — an amount
  7. degree — from a university
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — to point toward
  11. suit — in cards
  12. degree — temperature
  13. mine — for digging
  14. suit — clothes
  15. chip — to eat
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. face — part of the head
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. toast — bread
  21. rush — hurry
  22. suit — to fit
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. chip — in a computer

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