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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: mine · bay · stick · tear · bass · degree · cue · fine

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. mine — for digging
  4. degree — temperature
  5. tear — from crying
  6. degree — from a university
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. cue — for pool
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. fine — high quality
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — to rip
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. cue — a signal
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. degree — an amount
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bass — low music
  23. fine — all right
  24. cue — a hint

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