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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fork · bore · degree · current · tube · cold · fan · cue

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. degree — temperature
  5. cue — for pool
  6. current — happening now
  7. cue — a signal
  8. fork — in a road
  9. degree — an amount
  10. current — of water
  11. cold — an illness
  12. cold — not warm
  13. degree — from a university
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. current — electric
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bore — to drill
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. cue — a hint
  22. bore — to tire
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. tube — the underground

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