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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pitcher · spring · ruler · cell · degree · chip

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chip — to eat
  3. cell — in biology
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. chip — for betting
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. degree — temperature
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. cell — a phone
  12. spring — of water
  13. degree — from a university
  14. spring — a coil
  15. degree — an amount
  16. spring — the season
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. ruler — for measuring

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