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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bank — for money
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. saw — the tool
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. suit — to fit
  11. bank — for money
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. suit — in cards
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — from a university
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. dip — to sink
  19. chip — for betting
  20. saw — the tool
  21. suit — clothes
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. bank — of a river

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