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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: mine · pass · can · nail · bound · degree · firm · kid

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. firm — a company
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. degree — from a university
  9. bound — obliged
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. degree — temperature
  12. pass — a permit
  13. can — a tin
  14. bound — tied together
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. mine — for digging
  17. degree — an amount
  18. firm — decided
  19. bound — certain
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. kid — child
  22. kid — to tease
  23. firm — steady
  24. nail — on a finger

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