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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: degree · chip · scale · bound · roll · row · current · rule

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  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. row — a line
  3. rule — government
  4. roll — a list
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. degree — an amount
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. bound — obliged
  10. rule — a law
  11. degree — from a university
  12. bound — certain
  13. degree — temperature
  14. scale — in music
  15. bound — tied together
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. current — happening now
  18. roll — a cake
  19. row — to paddle
  20. chip — for betting
  21. current — of water
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. current — electric
  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