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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.

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 · nail · toast · roll · chip · rock · dip · chair

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. chip — to eat
  3. toast — bread
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. roll — a cake
  8. degree — an amount
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. rock — music
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. dip — to sink
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. roll — a list
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. degree — from a university
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. degree — temperature
  24. rock — a stone

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