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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 · arm · degree · fork · bank · court · season · bulb

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  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. chip — in a computer
  2. degree — temperature
  3. bank — of a river
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. chip — for betting
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. court — for sport
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. court — of a king
  10. court — of law
  11. season — in sport
  12. degree — from a university
  13. bulb — for light
  14. degree — an amount
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bank — for money
  18. bulb — for light
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. season — of the year
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. bank — for money
  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