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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: stem · march · roll · board · degree · pound · mouse · bay

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. pound — a weight
  3. roll — a list
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. march — music
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. roll — a cake
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. degree — temperature
  12. degree — from a university
  13. march — the month
  14. march — the month
  15. stem — to come from
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. board — to get on
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. board — a committee
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. pound — to hit hard

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