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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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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: chip · degree · track · suit · chair · court · pass · pop

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chair — a leader
  4. degree — an amount
  5. chip — to eat
  6. track — a path
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. court — of a king
  9. degree — from a university
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — in cards
  12. court — for sport
  13. track — to keep track
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pop — soda
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. track — a song
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. court — of law
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pop — music
  24. suit — to fit

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