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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: wax · safe · pitcher · pound · degree · net · hand · mouse

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. degree — an amount
  3. hand — in cards
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. net — in sport
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. wax — to grow
  10. net — for catching
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. pound — a weight
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. net — after costs
  15. degree — temperature
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. degree — from a university
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. hand — help
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. mouse — the animal

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