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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 120 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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  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. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. degree — temperature
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. ball — a great time
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. chip — for betting
  9. pop — to visit
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. face — to point toward
  12. kid — to tease
  13. pop — soda
  14. dip — to sink
  15. ball — a dance
  16. face — to confront
  17. pop — music
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. face — part of the head
  20. tube — the underground
  21. kid — child
  22. degree — an amount
  23. tube — a container
  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