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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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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: fork · race · track · wax · pound · cabinet · club · bound

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fork — in a road
  4. track — to keep track
  5. race — a contest
  6. wax — to grow
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bound — certain
  11. track — a path
  12. club — a group
  13. club — for dancing
  14. race — the arms race
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. race — humankind
  17. bound — obliged
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. track — a song
  22. club — for golf
  23. pound — a weight
  24. cabinet — ministers

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