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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: drill · track · cue · mug · chip · branch · degree · fine

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chip — to eat
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. drill — the tool
  6. mug — a cup
  7. drill — army training
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. track — a path
  10. track — a song
  11. track — to keep track
  12. degree — temperature
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. degree — from a university
  15. branch — a division
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — a hint
  18. fine — high quality
  19. degree — an amount
  20. drill — a practice
  21. mug — a face
  22. mug — to rob
  23. cue — for pool
  24. chip — in a computer

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