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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 116 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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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: cabinet · dip · degree · chip · ruler · pitch

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. degree — from a university
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. chip — for betting
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. degree — an amount
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. degree — temperature
  16. dip — to sink
  17. pitch — completely
  18. dip — to dunk

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