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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
468
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: dip · file · cue · bank · fan · game · degree · cap

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  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. degree — temperature
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. degree — from a university
  4. bank — of a river
  5. dip — to sink
  6. file — a document
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. cap — a hat
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bank — for money
  12. cue — a signal
  13. game — wild animals
  14. cap — of ice
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cue — for pool
  17. file — a line of people
  18. cue — a hint
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bank — for money
  21. cap — a lid
  22. file — a tool
  23. game — a match
  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