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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: degree · wave · fine · pop · chip · arm · bound · dip

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. chip — to eat
  3. bound — tied together
  4. fine — high quality
  5. bound — obliged
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. degree — an amount
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. pop — music
  10. fine — all right
  11. bound — certain
  12. pop — to visit
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. dip — to sink
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. chip — for betting
  21. pop — soda
  22. degree — temperature
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. arm — a part of something

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