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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: tube · degree · firm · bound · chip · pop · content · cap

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  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. chip — in a computer
  2. pop — to visit
  3. content — the amount
  4. firm — decided
  5. pop — music
  6. cap — a lid
  7. bound — certain
  8. chip — for betting
  9. tube — the underground
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — of ice
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. bound — tied together
  14. degree — from a university
  15. firm — steady
  16. bound — obliged
  17. degree — temperature
  18. chip — to eat
  19. firm — a company
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — a container
  22. content — happy
  23. pop — soda
  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