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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: current · kid · prune · degree · chip · rule · key · dip

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. degree — an amount
  4. dip — to sink
  5. kid — child
  6. kid — to tease
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. degree — from a university
  9. key — in music
  10. current — electric
  11. current — of water
  12. degree — temperature
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. current — happening now
  15. prune — to trim
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. chip — to eat
  18. key — for a lock
  19. rule — government
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. rule — a law
  22. chip — for betting
  23. prune — to trim
  24. key — the most important part

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