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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: cue · degree · bass · cabinet · rule · perch · fan · chip

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. bass — the fish
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rule — a law
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. degree — from a university
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. cue — for pool
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bass — low music
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. chip — to eat
  16. cue — a signal
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. degree — an amount
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. rule — government
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. degree — temperature
  24. cue — a hint

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