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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: degree · squash · bound · ball · track · coach · ground · prune

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. degree — temperature
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. bound — tied together
  5. track — a song
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bound — obliged
  11. track — a path
  12. squash — to crush
  13. track — to keep track
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bound — certain
  16. squash — the sport
  17. ground — a position
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. degree — from a university
  21. ground — crushed
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. degree — an amount
  24. ball — a great time

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