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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 116 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: mug · suit · prune · wax · ground · bay · chair · pound

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. mug — to rob
  4. suit — to fit
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. prune — to trim
  7. chair — a leader
  8. ground — crushed
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. ground — a position
  11. suit — clothes
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. wax — to grow
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. ground — the earth
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. prune — to trim
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. suit — in cards
  22. pound — a weight
  23. mug — a cup
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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