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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · cabinet · pound · trunk · fine · court · bound · kick

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. bound — certain
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. kick — in football
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. court — of law
  9. degree — from a university
  10. pound — a weight
  11. bound — obliged
  12. court — for sport
  13. fine — high quality
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. bound — tied together
  16. court — of a king
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. degree — temperature
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. fine — all right

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