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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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. bound — obliged
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. club — for dancing
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. band — a music group
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. club — a group
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bound — certain
  21. club — for golf
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. band — a ring

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