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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
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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: mouse · pitcher · wave · degree · chip · foot · trunk · object

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. object — an aim
  3. object — to protest
  4. foot — a measure
  5. degree — from a university
  6. chip — for betting
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. chip — to eat
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. degree — an amount
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. degree — temperature
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. object — a thing
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. chip — in a computer

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