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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: deal · calf · press · tube · wake · mate · chip · degree

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. press — to push
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — for betting
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. tube — the underground
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. deal — to handle
  12. mate — a friend
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. degree — from a university
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. press — a publisher
  17. degree — an amount
  18. press — newspapers
  19. tube — a container
  20. wake — a trail
  21. degree — temperature
  22. mate — a partner
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. mate — to breed

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