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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: tube · field · chip · degree · dip · fork · stick · board

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. tube — a container
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fork — in a road
  6. degree — temperature
  7. tube — the underground
  8. field — a subject
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. degree — an amount
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. chip — to eat
  14. degree — from a university
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. field — farmland
  17. board — to get on
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. dip — to sink
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. field — for sport
  23. board — a committee
  24. chip — for betting

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