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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 · drill · date · mouse · firm · row · ball · degree

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. row — a line
  3. firm — decided
  4. drill — army training
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. chip — for betting
  8. row — to paddle
  9. firm — steady
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. date — the fruit
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. degree — temperature
  14. drill — the tool
  15. ball — a great time
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. degree — from a university
  18. degree — an amount
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. firm — a company
  21. drill — a practice
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. ball — a dance
  24. chip — to eat

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