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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 120 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: pass · chip · firm · degree · arm · craft · cue · face

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. chip — for betting
  4. degree — temperature
  5. chip — to eat
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. craft — boats
  8. face — to point toward
  9. firm — a company
  10. craft — a skill
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. firm — decided
  15. pass — a permit
  16. face — part of the head
  17. cue — a signal
  18. face — to confront
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. firm — steady
  22. degree — an amount
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cue — for pool

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