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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 120 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: wax · stick · cabinet · bore · bowl · march · pound · degree

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. degree — an amount
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. march — the month
  6. bore — to drill
  7. wax — to grow
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. degree — temperature
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. march — the month
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. degree — from a university
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. bore — to tire
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. pound — a weight
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. march — music
  24. cabinet — ministers

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