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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: net · degree · wax · game · toast · bound · can · pass

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. bound — certain
  4. can — a tin
  5. net — in sport
  6. bound — obliged
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. bound — tied together
  9. pass — a permit
  10. net — after costs
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. can — to be able to
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. degree — an amount
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. net — for catching
  17. wax — to grow
  18. toast — bread
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — a match
  22. game — wild animals
  23. degree — from a university
  24. degree — temperature

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