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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. mug — a cup
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. chip — to eat
  5. object — a thing
  6. bulb — for light
  7. degree — temperature
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mate — a partner
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mark — a trace
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mug — to rob
  16. object — an aim
  17. degree — from a university
  18. chip — for betting
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mug — a face
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a music group
  24. object — to protest

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