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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: cabinet · wake · net · ground · pound · bay · charge · band

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  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. bay — to keep at bay
  2. band — a ring
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — in sport
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. ground — the earth
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. charge — a price
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. net — after costs
  15. wake — a trail
  16. ground — a position
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. charge — electricity
  19. pound — a weight
  20. charge — in control
  21. band — a music group
  22. ground — crushed
  23. bay — a horse colour
  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