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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: row · tube · degree · field · current · toast · fork · rock

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. degree — temperature
  4. rock — a stone
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. current — of water
  8. row — a line
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — a container
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. fork — in a road
  14. current — happening now
  15. degree — an amount
  16. current — electric
  17. degree — from a university
  18. field — a subject
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. toast — bread
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. rock — music
  23. field — for sport
  24. field — farmland

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