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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 116 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: track · bass · stock · racket · wax · present · pound · bound

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. track — to keep track
  3. present — the time now
  4. bound — certain
  5. present — a gift
  6. bound — tied together
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. stock — shares
  10. pound — a weight
  11. present — there
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. track — a song
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bass — the fish
  16. stock — goods
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bass — low music
  21. bound — obliged
  22. track — a path
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. racket — a loud noise

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