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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. chip — for betting
  3. degree — temperature
  4. hand — in cards
  5. chip — to eat
  6. hand — help
  7. root — of a plant
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. degree — an amount
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — a grade
  14. deal — to handle
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. root — of a word
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bass — low music
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. root — the cause
  23. bass — the fish
  24. degree — from a university

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