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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: mate · calf · suit · chest · cap · bass · degree · chip

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  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. chest — of your body
  2. mate — a friend
  3. degree — temperature
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. degree — from a university
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. degree — an amount
  10. mate — a partner
  11. cap — a lid
  12. bass — the fish
  13. chest — of your body
  14. cap — a hat
  15. chest — a box
  16. suit — clothes
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. mate — to breed
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bass — low music
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. suit — to fit
  23. chip — for betting
  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