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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: ball · degree · trunk · firm · tube · field · bore · current

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. tube — a container
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. field — farmland
  6. degree — temperature
  7. field — a subject
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. tube — the underground
  11. degree — an amount
  12. field — for sport
  13. firm — decided
  14. bore — to drill
  15. ball — a great time
  16. current — electric
  17. bore — to tire
  18. firm — steady
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. current — of water
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. current — happening now
  23. degree — from a university
  24. ball — a dance

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