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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. chip — for betting
  3. spring — a coil
  4. stem — to come from
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. bank — for money
  7. club — for dancing
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. chip — to eat
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. spring — the season
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. club — a group
  14. spring — of water
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — of a river
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. degree — from a university
  23. club — for golf
  24. degree — an amount

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