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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: board · lean · ground · scale · bore · pound · cap · degree

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bore — to tire
  4. cap — of ice
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. degree — an amount
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. lean — thin
  10. ground — a position
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a committee
  15. cap — a lid
  16. degree — temperature
  17. scale — in music
  18. pound — a weight
  19. cap — a hat
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ground — crushed
  23. lean — to bend
  24. scale — size or range

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