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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 120 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: bound · scale · bowl · row · tube · dip · wind · degree

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. degree — an amount
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. scale — in music
  9. degree — temperature
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. bound — tied together
  12. wind — moving air
  13. degree — from a university
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wind — moving air
  16. row — to paddle
  17. tube — a container
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. dip — to sink
  21. scale — size or range
  22. bound — certain
  23. tube — the underground
  24. bowl — a dish

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