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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 120 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
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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 · trunk · degree · race · fan · bowl · game · cabinet

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. race — the arms race
  3. race — humankind
  4. degree — an amount
  5. game — wild animals
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. degree — temperature
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. race — a contest
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. game — a match
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. degree — from a university

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