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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: bound · dip · degree · pop · deal · safe · wax · net

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. degree — an amount
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — certain
  6. pop — to visit
  7. net — after costs
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. net — in sport
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. degree — from a university
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. dip — to sink
  17. pop — music
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. wax — to grow
  20. net — for catching
  21. bound — obliged
  22. degree — temperature
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. pop — soda

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