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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: mouse · trunk · chip · scale · craft · degree · pound · root

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. degree — temperature
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. degree — from a university
  7. craft — boats
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — the cause
  10. craft — a skill
  11. chip — to eat
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. root — of a plant
  14. scale — size or range
  15. degree — an amount
  16. chip — for betting
  17. pound — a weight
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. chip — in a computer

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