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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: arm · tube · ground · staff · degree · board · suit · fine

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. board — to get on
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. staff — employees
  5. ground — crushed
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — high quality
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. ground — a position
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. degree — an amount
  13. suit — to fit
  14. ground — the earth
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. suit — in cards
  17. staff — employees
  18. degree — from a university
  19. staff — a stick
  20. degree — temperature
  21. suit — clothes
  22. tube — the underground
  23. board — a committee
  24. arm — a part of something

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