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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mug · bound · wound · degree · mark · march · pit · vault

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. bound — tied together
  4. mug — to rob
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. mug — a cup
  9. vault — a safe
  10. degree — temperature
  11. mark — a grade
  12. march — the month
  13. bound — obliged
  14. mark — a trace
  15. march — the month
  16. mug — a face
  17. pit — in a race
  18. degree — from a university
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. degree — an amount
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. march — music
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — an injury

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