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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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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: pop · calf · board · degree · snap · squash · bound · pitch

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. bound — certain
  3. pop — soda
  4. bound — tied together
  5. degree — temperature
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. pop — to visit
  8. squash — to crush
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. degree — an amount
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. bound — obliged
  13. pitch — completely
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. snap — to click
  16. pop — music
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. board — a committee
  19. squash — the sport
  20. degree — from a university
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a flat piece

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