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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: degree · bound · racket · fall · pop · wake · board · pass

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. board — a committee
  3. bound — certain
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. degree — from a university
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. degree — an amount
  9. pop — music
  10. pass — a permit
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. bound — tied together
  13. fall — to drop
  14. wake — a trail
  15. fall — to drop
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. fall — the season
  20. pop — soda
  21. bound — obliged
  22. pop — to visit
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. board — to get on

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