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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 120 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: suit · chair · chip · bowl · degree · rash · cue · ruler

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chair — a leader
  3. cue — a signal
  4. suit — clothes
  5. degree — an amount
  6. suit — in cards
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. degree — from a university
  10. rash — a series
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. degree — temperature
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. suit — to fit
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. cue — a hint
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. cue — for pool

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