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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
Word bank
YesNo
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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: ball · trunk · march · rock · chip · degree · rash · toast

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. chip — for betting
  3. rash — hasty
  4. ball — a great time
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. march — the month
  11. rock — a stone
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. degree — temperature
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. toast — bread
  17. rock — music
  18. degree — from a university
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. degree — an amount
  21. rash — a series
  22. chip — to eat
  23. march — the month
  24. march — music

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