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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: spring · last · degree · charge · safe · chip · dip · tube

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. degree — from a university
  4. degree — an amount
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. charge — in control
  7. last — to go on
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. last — final
  10. chip — for betting
  11. charge — a price
  12. tube — a container
  13. spring — of water
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. last — finally
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — to sink
  19. chip — to eat
  20. spring — the season
  21. tube — the underground
  22. spring — a coil
  23. charge — electricity
  24. degree — temperature

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