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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chip — for betting
  3. row — to paddle
  4. degree — an amount
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. mark — a grade
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. kick — in football
  9. degree — temperature
  10. mark — a trace
  11. chip — to eat
  12. hand — help
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. shower — rain
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. hand — in cards
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. row — a line
  22. degree — from a university
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. shower — to wash

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