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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 · bulb · pound · game · craft · bore · bound · bark

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. craft — a skill
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. pound — a weight
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bulb — for light
  15. craft — boats
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. bore — to drill
  19. game — a match
  20. bound — certain
  21. game — wild animals
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bark — to shout

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