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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
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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: bark · cabinet · degree · key · race · chip · current · mug

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a face
  3. race — the arms race
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bark — to shout
  6. degree — temperature
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. chip — to eat
  9. degree — from a university
  10. current — electric
  11. degree — an amount
  12. current — of water
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. key — in music
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. current — happening now
  18. key — the most important part
  19. key — for a lock
  20. race — a contest
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. race — humankind
  23. mug — a cup
  24. chip — for betting

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