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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 116 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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. track — to keep track
  3. bound — obliged
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. wax — to grow
  6. charge — in control
  7. squash — the sport
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. track — a path
  11. squash — to crush
  12. charge — electricity
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. game — a match
  17. bark — to shout
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. track — a song
  21. charge — a price
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bound — certain
  24. wax — for sculpting

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