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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: ground · bound · pitcher · dip · wax · stick · ruler · rash

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ground — crushed
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bound — certain
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. ground — the earth
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. wax — to grow
  14. dip — to sink
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bound — obliged
  17. rash — hasty
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ground — a position
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rash — a series
  22. bound — tied together
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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