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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.

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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  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. mark — a grade
  2. suit — clothes
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. chip — to eat
  5. suit — in cards
  6. scale — in music
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. suit — to fit
  10. mark — a trace
  11. degree — temperature
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bound — certain
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. bound — tied together
  16. degree — an amount
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. degree — from a university
  19. bound — obliged
  20. chip — for betting
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. scale — size or range
  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