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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. degree — temperature
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. dip — to sink
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. firm — a company
  9. bass — the fish
  10. chip — to eat
  11. court — of law
  12. degree — an amount
  13. bass — low music
  14. firm — steady
  15. spring — a coil
  16. spring — of water
  17. court — for sport
  18. spring — the season
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. chip — for betting
  21. firm — decided
  22. degree — from a university
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. court — of a king

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