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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: wax · ground · bulb · degree · foot · fan · tube · rock

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tube — a container
  4. degree — temperature
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — a stone
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bulb — for light
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. ground — a position
  14. bulb — for light
  15. ground — the earth
  16. wax — to grow
  17. ground — crushed
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. degree — an amount
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. rock — music
  23. foot — a measure
  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