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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  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. pound — a weight
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bound — certain
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. spring — the season
  7. court — for sport
  8. court — of a king
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bound — obliged
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. spring — of water
  13. roll — a list
  14. court — of law
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. bound — tied together
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. roll — a cake
  19. wax — to grow
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  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