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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 · mark · bound · drill · pass · stock · ball · mine

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. drill — army training
  3. pass — a permit
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mark — a trace
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. degree — an amount
  9. ball — a great time
  10. bound — certain
  11. stock — goods
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mark — a grade
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. degree — temperature
  17. bound — tied together
  18. stock — shares
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. bound — obliged
  21. drill — a practice
  22. drill — the tool
  23. degree — from a university
  24. ball — a dance

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