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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 120 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: land · ball · pound · wake · wax · rule · pass · track

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. pass — a permit
  4. rule — a law
  5. track — a song
  6. rule — government
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pound — a weight
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. land — a country
  11. land — to come down
  12. track — a path
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. ball — a dance
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. ball — a great time
  20. land — ground
  21. track — to keep track
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. wax — to grow
  24. pound — to hit hard

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