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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. degree — from a university
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. degree — temperature
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. pound — a weight
  7. season — of the year
  8. shower — to wash
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. shower — rain
  13. degree — an amount
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. bank — for money
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. chip — to eat
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bank — of a river
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. season — in sport
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bank — for money

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