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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 · bore · bulb · pound · dip · stock · date · degree

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. degree — temperature
  7. degree — an amount
  8. stock — goods
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bulb — for light
  11. dip — to sink
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bore — to drill
  14. tube — the underground
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. degree — from a university
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. bulb — for light
  21. stock — shares
  22. date — the fruit
  23. tube — a container
  24. bore — to tire

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