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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: arm · press · chip · land · cue · degree · content · ground

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. cue — a hint
  3. degree — temperature
  4. content — the amount
  5. degree — from a university
  6. land — ground
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. land — to come down
  9. chip — for betting
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a signal
  13. content — happy
  14. ground — the earth
  15. press — a publisher
  16. chip — to eat
  17. ground — crushed
  18. press — newspapers
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. degree — an amount
  21. land — a country
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. press — to push
  24. ground — a position

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