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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fall · bark · net · key · tube · degree · bound · rest

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bound — tied together
  3. degree — temperature
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — after costs
  8. degree — an amount
  9. tube — the underground
  10. fall — to drop
  11. key — in music
  12. degree — from a university
  13. rest — a break
  14. fall — the season
  15. bound — obliged
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bound — certain
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. fall — to drop
  20. tube — a container
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. rest — what's left
  24. key — the most important part

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