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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
468
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 · squash · pop · pit · plane · row · degree · coach

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. degree — temperature
  3. squash — the sport
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. degree — from a university
  8. row — to paddle
  9. squash — to crush
  10. plane — a tool
  11. degree — an amount
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. chip — to eat
  14. pop — to visit
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pit — in a race
  17. row — a line
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. pop — music
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. chip — for betting
  24. pit — a hole

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