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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: field · chip · rash · arm · degree · leaves · object · dip

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chip — to eat
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. object — a thing
  5. object — an aim
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. object — to protest
  8. rash — hasty
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. degree — an amount
  11. field — a subject
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. field — for sport
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. field — farmland
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. rash — a series
  21. degree — temperature
  22. chip — for betting
  23. degree — from a university
  24. dip — to sink

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