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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — for betting
  4. degree — temperature
  5. swing — in golf
  6. degree — an amount
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. roll — a list
  9. bass — low music
  10. current — of water
  11. degree — from a university
  12. current — happening now
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. current — electric
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. swing — to play on
  17. fine — high quality
  18. deal — to handle
  19. roll — a cake
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. fine — all right
  22. swing — music
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. deal — an agreement

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