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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 116 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: chip · wake · key · rash · degree · current · pound · deal

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. current — of water
  3. deal — to handle
  4. degree — temperature
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — for a lock
  8. pound — a weight
  9. rash — hasty
  10. degree — from a university
  11. chip — for betting
  12. current — happening now
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. key — in music
  19. current — electric
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. rash — a series
  22. degree — an amount
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. wake — a trail

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