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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: cap · can · pound · wake · bound · degree · foot · board

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pound — a weight
  3. board — to get on
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cap — of ice
  7. foot — a measure
  8. board — a committee
  9. can — a tin
  10. bound — certain
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. bound — tied together
  13. degree — from a university
  14. can — a tin
  15. degree — an amount
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. degree — temperature
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. wake — a trail
  21. bound — obliged
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. can — to be able to
  24. wake — before a funeral

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