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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.

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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: staff · degree · leaves · cell · pound · bound · jam · coach

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. cell — in biology
  4. pound — a weight
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bound — certain
  8. degree — from a university
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. degree — an amount
  11. cell — a phone
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bound — tied together
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. bound — obliged
  18. staff — a stick
  19. staff — employees
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. staff — employees
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. leaves — to go away

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