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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
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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: degree · chip · bore · date · cue · row · bass · rock

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. degree — temperature
  3. degree — an amount
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. bass — low music
  6. degree — from a university
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — a stone
  10. row — to paddle
  11. bass — the fish
  12. cue — a hint
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. cue — a signal
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. row — a line
  17. date — the fruit
  18. bore — to tire
  19. rock — music
  20. bore — to drill
  21. chip — to eat
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. cue — for pool
  24. bass — the instrument

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