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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. chip — to eat
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — a tool
  6. chip — for betting
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bass — the fish
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cold — not warm
  14. degree — temperature
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bank — for money
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. degree — an amount
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. bass — low music
  22. cold — an illness
  23. bank — for money
  24. bass — the instrument

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