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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: prune · bound · wound · degree · cap · ball · bore · pass

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. degree — from a university
  6. ball — a great time
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — obliged
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a lid
  12. bore — to tire
  13. wound — an injury
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pass — a permit
  17. wound — an injury
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bore — to drill
  20. prune — to trim
  21. degree — temperature
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. bound — certain
  24. pass — to succeed

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