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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 · net · degree · row · key · toast · pop · dip

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. toast — bread
  3. row — to paddle
  4. net — in sport
  5. pop — soda
  6. degree — from a university
  7. pop — to visit
  8. tube — a container
  9. net — for catching
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. pop — music
  15. dip — to sink
  16. tube — the underground
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. key — for a lock
  19. degree — temperature
  20. row — a line
  21. key — the most important part
  22. degree — an amount
  23. net — after costs
  24. key — in music

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