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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: degree · rest · current · bore · net · bound · tube · bear

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. degree — an amount
  3. tube — a container
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bound — tied together
  7. current — electric
  8. rest — what's left
  9. net — in sport
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bore — to tire
  12. rest — a break
  13. current — happening now
  14. net — for catching
  15. degree — temperature
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bear — the animal
  18. tube — the underground
  19. current — of water
  20. degree — from a university
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bear — the animal
  23. net — after costs
  24. bound — certain

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