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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: dip · field · tube · ground · degree · snap · perch · board

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. tube — a container
  8. field — a subject
  9. field — farmland
  10. degree — temperature
  11. ground — the earth
  12. dip — to sink
  13. board — to get on
  14. tube — the underground
  15. ground — a position
  16. degree — an amount
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. board — a committee
  19. field — for sport
  20. snap — to click
  21. ground — crushed
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. perch — the fish
  24. degree — from a university

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