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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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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: bank · patient · pitcher · root · wax · pop · ground · bound

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bound — tied together
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bank — for money
  7. root — the cause
  8. ground — the earth
  9. pop — music
  10. root — of a word
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. pop — soda
  14. bank — of a river
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. ground — a position
  17. bound — certain
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pop — to visit
  20. ground — crushed
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bank — for money
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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