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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: mate · mouse · can · bowl · dip · chip · bank · degree

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. can — a tin
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bank — for money
  6. degree — temperature
  7. bank — of a river
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. mate — a partner
  13. chip — to eat
  14. degree — from a university
  15. can — a tin
  16. bank — for money
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mate — to breed
  19. dip — to sink
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. can — to be able to
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — for 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