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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 116 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: fine · wound · saw · bay · degree · cue · ruler · sharp

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. cue — for pool
  4. wound — an injury
  5. cue — a signal
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. fine — high quality
  9. cue — a hint
  10. wound — an injury
  11. sharp — clever
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. degree — from a university
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. fine — all right
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. saw — the tool
  21. degree — temperature
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. degree — an amount

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