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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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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: net · chip · deal · sharp · degree · branch · dip · board

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. degree — temperature
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. net — after costs
  5. deal — to handle
  6. chip — to eat
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. chip — for betting
  11. degree — from a university
  12. sharp — clever
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. net — for catching
  16. board — a committee
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. dip — to sink
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. net — in sport
  22. branch — a division
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. degree — an amount

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