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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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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: mouse · chip · wind · suit · fork · shower · degree · dip

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. chip — to eat
  4. degree — from a university
  5. wind — moving air
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. shower — rain
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. dip — to sink
  11. wind — moving air
  12. suit — clothes
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. suit — in cards
  16. suit — to fit
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. chip — for betting
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. degree — temperature
  23. degree — an amount
  24. shower — to wash

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