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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: bay · wax · pass · pound · root · squash · bound · racket

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  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. bound — certain
  2. bound — obliged
  3. pass — a permit
  4. squash — the sport
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. root — of a word
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. root — the cause
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bound — tied together
  17. pound — a weight
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. root — of a plant
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. wax — to grow
  23. squash — to crush
  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