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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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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: object · chip · cue · mark · degree · swing · stock · net

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. mark — a grade
  3. cue — a signal
  4. stock — shares
  5. cue — for pool
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. object — a thing
  8. chip — to eat
  9. net — after costs
  10. object — to protest
  11. object — an aim
  12. swing — in golf
  13. cue — a hint
  14. mark — a trace
  15. net — for catching
  16. degree — an amount
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. swing — to play on
  19. net — in sport
  20. swing — music
  21. degree — from a university
  22. stock — goods
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. chip — for betting

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