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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. chip — for betting
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. club — for golf
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. charge — electricity
  7. club — a group
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bank — for money
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. degree — temperature
  13. charge — in control
  14. tear — to rip
  15. tear — from crying
  16. saw — the tool
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. degree — an amount
  19. chip — to eat
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. bank — for money
  22. charge — a price
  23. tear — from crying
  24. club — for dancing

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