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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: degree · stem · chip · rash · bear · bat · swing · tube

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. chip — for betting
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. swing — music
  5. swing — in golf
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. degree — from a university
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. degree — temperature
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. rash — a series
  14. rash — hasty
  15. bear — the animal
  16. stem — to come from
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. chip — to eat
  19. degree — an amount
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. tube — the underground
  23. swing — to play on
  24. tube — a container

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