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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: degree · pound · bound · rest · season · rule · foot · leaves

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. bound — obliged
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. degree — an amount
  11. season — in sport
  12. rest — a break
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. degree — temperature
  15. pound — a weight
  16. season — of the year
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. bound — tied together
  19. rule — a law
  20. foot — a measure
  21. degree — from a university
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bound — certain

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