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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 116 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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fine — all right
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. chip — for betting
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. degree — from a university
  13. degree — temperature
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. degree — an amount
  16. dip — to sink
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. can — a tin
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. ball — a dance
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. chair — a leader

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