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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bound · rule · pound · pass · squash · nail · clip

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. clip — for paper
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. degree — temperature
  8. degree — from a university
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. clip — a video
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. clip — to cut
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bound — obliged
  16. rule — government
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — certain
  19. squash — the sport
  20. pass — a permit
  21. degree — an amount
  22. pound — a weight
  23. squash — to crush
  24. rule — a law

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