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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 120 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: hide · board · pitcher · chip · hand · scale · tube · degree

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. degree — temperature
  3. chip — for betting
  4. hand — help
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. board — a committee
  7. scale — in music
  8. hand — in cards
  9. tube — a container
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — to get on
  12. chip — to eat
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. scale — size or range
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — the underground
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. degree — an amount
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. degree — from a university
  24. pitcher — a jug

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