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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. mine — for digging
  3. scale — size or range
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. wax — to grow
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. bank — of a river
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bank — for money
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — obliged
  15. rush — hurry
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. bass — low music
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. bass — the fish
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. bank — for money
  24. scale — in music

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