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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: bound · game · wax · track · pound · patient · bank · pitcher

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  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. track — a path
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. track — to keep track
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bank — for money
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. track — a song
  8. pound — a weight
  9. bound — obliged
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. game — a match
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bound — tied together
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bank — for money
  17. game — wild animals
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bank — of a river
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bound — certain
  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