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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: bark · patient · degree · bound · tube · pound · dip · kick

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. degree — an amount
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. tube — a container
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. dip — to sink
  12. bark — to shout
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. bound — tied together
  15. tube — the underground
  16. degree — from a university
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — in football
  21. bound — certain
  22. pound — a weight
  23. bound — obliged
  24. degree — temperature

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