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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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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: bank · racket · wax · ground · bass · pound · drill · club

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. ground — the earth
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bank — for money
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. bank — of a river
  7. drill — army training
  8. club — a group
  9. club — for golf
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. bass — the fish
  13. ground — a position
  14. bank — for money
  15. drill — the tool
  16. ground — crushed
  17. drill — a practice
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. club — for dancing
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. wax — to grow
  24. bass — the instrument

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