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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: mark · mug · degree · track · chip · hide · cell · fall

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. cell — in biology
  5. degree — temperature
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. track — a path
  9. fall — to drop
  10. chip — to eat
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. cell — a phone
  13. degree — from a university
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. fall — the season
  17. track — a song
  18. fall — to drop
  19. mug — a face
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mug — a cup
  22. track — to keep track
  23. mark — a grade
  24. degree — an amount

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