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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: degree · coach · mouse · chip · straw · wax · current · mark

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. degree — an amount
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. mark — a trace
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. mark — a grade
  12. degree — from a university
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wax — to grow
  18. current — electric
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. current — happening now
  21. degree — temperature
  22. chip — to eat
  23. current — of water
  24. coach — a trainer

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