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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 120 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: leaves · bore · board · pound · degree · hand · vault · pass

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. board — a committee
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. degree — from a university
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — a safe
  10. bore — to drill
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. degree — an amount
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. bore — to tire
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. degree — temperature
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. hand — help
  23. board — to get on
  24. leaves — to go away

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