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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: rock · lie · date · chip · degree · mark · saw · mouse

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. degree — temperature
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. rock — music
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. saw — the tool
  8. degree — an amount
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — a stone
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. chip — for betting
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. lie — to recline
  19. date — the fruit
  20. chip — to eat
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — a grade

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