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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: bay · club · can · pound · firm · wax · net · coach

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  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. wax — to grow
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. can — a tin
  5. firm — a company
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — in sport
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. pound — a weight
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. club — for dancing
  13. net — after costs
  14. firm — steady
  15. club — a group
  16. can — to be able to
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. club — for golf
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. can — a tin
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. firm — decided
  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