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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: key · rush · leaves · bound · degree · pass · pound · bulb

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. bound — certain
  7. key — in music
  8. rush — hurry
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. degree — temperature
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. pound — a weight
  15. key — the most important part
  16. pass — a permit
  17. degree — an amount
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. key — for a lock
  24. degree — from a university

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