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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: chip · degree · roll · scale · arm · season · bowl · fan

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. roll — a list
  7. roll — a cake
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. degree — from a university
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. season — in sport
  15. chip — to eat
  16. degree — temperature
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. scale — size or range
  19. degree — an amount
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. season — of the year
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. scale — in music
  24. bowl — a dish

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