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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 · degree · dip · spring · firm · row · board · suit

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. degree — from a university
  3. board — to get on
  4. spring — a coil
  5. degree — temperature
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. spring — of water
  8. suit — clothes
  9. suit — to fit
  10. dip — to sink
  11. firm — steady
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. row — to paddle
  15. degree — an amount
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. spring — the season
  18. row — a line
  19. firm — a company
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. firm — decided
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — the underground
  24. dip — a sauce

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