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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: degree · bound · mouse · ground · deal · rush · scale · chip

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. chip — to eat
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. scale — size or range
  10. ground — a position
  11. deal — to handle
  12. ground — crushed
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. scale — in music
  15. ground — the earth
  16. bound — obliged
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. chip — for betting
  20. degree — temperature
  21. bound — certain
  22. degree — an amount
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. degree — from a university

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