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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — to visit
  4. degree — from a university
  5. degree — an amount
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mate — to breed
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. degree — temperature
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. pop — music
  16. pass — a permit
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. mug — a face
  20. mug — to rob
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. stock — goods
  23. chip — for betting
  24. stock — shares

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