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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: content · pitch · hide · wax · bound · pass · bowl · bark

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bound — certain
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. content — happy
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bound — tied together
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. pitch — completely
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bark — to shout
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. content — the amount
  22. pass — a permit
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. hide — to keep secret

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