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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: bay · coach · ruler · chip · net · degree · cabinet · land

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. net — in sport
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. degree — an amount
  10. land — ground
  11. degree — from a university
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. net — for catching
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. chip — for betting
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. land — a country
  20. land — to come down
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. net — after costs
  23. degree — temperature
  24. chip — to eat

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