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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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. drill — army training
  4. bank — for money
  5. drill — a practice
  6. degree — temperature
  7. degree — an amount
  8. dip — to sink
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. degree — from a university
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. bank — of a river
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bank — for money
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. drill — the tool
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. chip — to eat
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. chip — in a computer

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