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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: chip · degree · mouse · pop · bowl · hand · rule · mate

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. chip — for betting
  3. mate — to breed
  4. hand — in cards
  5. pop — soda
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. degree — temperature
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. hand — help
  10. mate — a friend
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. rule — a law
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. degree — from a university
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. chip — to eat
  20. rule — government
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pop — music
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. degree — an amount

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