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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 116 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: land · firm · hide · tube · fork · object · degree · fine

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. tube — a container
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. degree — an amount
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. land — to come down
  8. object — to protest
  9. firm — a company
  10. fine — high quality
  11. object — a thing
  12. fine — all right
  13. degree — from a university
  14. object — an aim
  15. degree — temperature
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. land — a country
  19. firm — steady
  20. firm — decided
  21. fork — in a road
  22. tube — the underground
  23. land — ground
  24. tube — in a 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