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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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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 · tube · bowl · degree · row · vault · mug · arm

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. degree — from a university
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. vault — a safe
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. tube — the underground
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. degree — temperature
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. mug — to rob
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. fork — in a road
  19. row — to paddle
  20. mug — a face
  21. mug — a cup
  22. degree — an amount
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. fork — to eat with

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