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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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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: chip · fine · wind · degree · cue · mate · bear · fork

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. cue — a signal
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. bear — the animal
  6. chip — to eat
  7. wind — moving air
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. wind — moving air
  10. chip — for betting
  11. bear — the animal
  12. mate — a friend
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. mate — a partner
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — all right
  19. fork — in a road
  20. mate — to breed
  21. degree — an amount
  22. fine — high quality
  23. degree — temperature
  24. degree — from a university

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