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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. rash — a series
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. rash — hasty
  5. mark — a grade
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. object — a thing
  8. mark — a trace
  9. object — an aim
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chip — to eat
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. shower — rain
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. shower — to wash
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. object — to protest
  22. degree — from a university
  23. degree — an amount
  24. degree — temperature

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