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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: firm · net · wax · pound · season · bear · pitcher · suit

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. net — after costs
  3. net — for catching
  4. suit — to fit
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wax — to grow
  7. firm — decided
  8. suit — in cards
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. suit — clothes
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. net — in sport
  17. firm — steady
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — in sport
  21. bear — the animal
  22. firm — a company
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. pound — for dogs

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