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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 116 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. degree — temperature
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. sharp — clever
  6. degree — from a university
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. chip — for betting
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. degree — an amount
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. band — a ring
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bass — low music
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. tube — a container

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