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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: bass · rush · rock · chip · object · lie · content · degree

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  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 — in a computer
  2. content — happy
  3. degree — temperature
  4. content — the amount
  5. rock — music
  6. object — an aim
  7. degree — from a university
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. lie — to recline
  12. chip — to eat
  13. bass — the fish
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. object — to protest
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bass — low music
  20. chip — for betting
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. object — a thing
  23. rock — a stone
  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