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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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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 · tear · saw · chest · cue · chip · fine · jam

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. tear — to rip
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. tear — from crying
  6. chest — a box
  7. fine — all right
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. tear — from crying
  10. chest — of your body
  11. degree — from a university
  12. chip — to eat
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. degree — an amount
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chip — for betting
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. cue — a hint
  19. saw — the tool
  20. fine — high quality
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. cue — a signal
  23. saw — the tool
  24. cue — for pool

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