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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 · degree · dip · wake · mark · bulb · root · bound

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. tube — a container
  3. wake — a trail
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. root — the cause
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. tube — the underground
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. degree — an amount
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mark — a trace
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. dip — to sink
  21. bound — certain
  22. root — of a word
  23. degree — temperature
  24. root — of a plant

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