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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: bay · leaves · mark · chip · present · bank · snap · degree

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  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. bank — for money
  2. present — the time now
  3. snap — to click
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. chip — to eat
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. mark — a trace
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. degree — temperature
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. chip — for betting
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. present — a gift
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. present — there
  18. bank — for money
  19. degree — an amount
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. mark — a grade
  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