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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: bound · tube · land · degree · key · plane · fine · straw

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. bound — obliged
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. degree — from a university
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. bound — tied together
  7. land — ground
  8. tube — the underground
  9. key — in music
  10. land — to come down
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. degree — an amount
  14. degree — temperature
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bound — certain
  17. land — a country
  18. key — for a lock
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. fine — all right
  21. tube — a container
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. key — the most important part
  24. fine — high quality

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