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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. degree — an amount
  3. bound — certain
  4. court — of a king
  5. object — to protest
  6. degree — from a university
  7. fine — all right
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. court — for sport
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. court — of law
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. object — a thing
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. object — an aim
  19. degree — temperature
  20. fine — high quality
  21. vault — a safe
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bound — obliged
  24. pound — a weight

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