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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 120 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: bat · degree · bound · tube · current · bowl · fan · drill

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. current — electric
  3. bat — the animal
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. degree — temperature
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. tube — a container
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. drill — a practice
  14. degree — an amount
  15. current — of water
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. current — happening now
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bound — tied together
  20. drill — army training
  21. drill — the tool
  22. degree — from a university
  23. bound — certain
  24. fan — a supporter

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