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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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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: perch · season · pound · fine · bank · wax

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. bank — for money
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. season — in sport
  7. season — of the year
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. wax — to grow
  11. bank — for money
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fine — all right
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. fine — high quality
  17. perch — the fish
  18. bank — of a river

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