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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: firm · nail · stock · sharp · press · degree · chip · suit

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. press — to push
  4. chip — to eat
  5. firm — a company
  6. chip — for betting
  7. press — a publisher
  8. suit — in cards
  9. firm — decided
  10. press — newspapers
  11. suit — to fit
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — shares
  15. degree — temperature
  16. suit — clothes
  17. sharp — clever
  18. degree — from a university
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. degree — an amount
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. firm — steady
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. nail — on a finger

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