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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 · bank · pound · bear · press · ground · spring · track

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  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. pound — a weight
  2. bear — the animal
  3. ground — crushed
  4. bank — for money
  5. bear — the animal
  6. press — newspapers
  7. track — to keep track
  8. ground — the earth
  9. bank — for money
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. track — a song
  13. press — to push
  14. wax — to grow
  15. press — a publisher
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. spring — of water
  18. ground — a position
  19. spring — a coil
  20. track — a path
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. spring — the season
  23. bank — of a river
  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